A countertop made from a composite of recycled, compressed paper costs about the same as one made of granite.

In his small way, Michael Schaeffer hopes to change that.

Schaeffer, a longtime California home builder who started using more-efficient methods before “eco-friendly” was a catchphrase, has started the Green Building Exchange in Redwood City, a kind of year-round trade show, education center and retail shop designed to steer builders away from natural resources and low-efficiency items and toward cabinets made from reclaimed sorghum straw and non-electrical glow-in-the-dark “exit” signs.

Stinky!

It never fails. Shortly after you put a clean plastic liner in the
kitchen wastebasket, something really smelly gets thrown away before the
bag is full. I’ve found I can eliminate rotten odors in a wastebasket by
completely covering the offending waste with a few layers of
newspapers. I use the newspaper ad supplements that fill up my mailbox each week.
The paper absorbs the smell entirely so you can use each bag to
capacity.
Julie B. in Houston TX

The Hanging Heat Reducer