Landscape materials that are made from plastic, rubber, glass, and composite materials are currently available in the form of fences, decking materials, stepping stones, trash containers, swingsets, and many other items.

In addition to recycled materials, other materials that come under the "sustainability" umbrella are salvaged materials, re-manufactured materials, renewable materials, sustainably harvested lumber, and locally-sourced materials.

The above-mentioned types of "sustainable" materials allude to the idea that there is a limited supply of certain resources, and alternatives need to be found. In some cases, though, such as rubber, or plastic, the material can be re-used, either in its current form, or in a re-manufactured form. For example, plastic lumber and crumb rubber are re-manufactured forms that take on completely new forms and uses from their original forms as plastic bottles, or rubber tires.

Salvaged materials are taken from an unwanted site and simply placed into the new site or situation. Stones and bricks are examples of salvaged materials.

Using local materials is a component of sustainable landscaping. It involves considering the carbon footprint of shipping across long distances. In addition to saving in shipping costs, locally available material adds a local flavor to the landscape design.

Sustainably harvested wood goes through a certification process in which smaller cuts of wood are used, and organic matter is left for decomposition and recomposition. Clear cutting a forest is not a sustainable practice. The long-term productivity of a forest is recognized as important, and forest resources are recognized as being equally important along with economic factors. Forest certification is a voluntary program.

The Forest Stewardship Council has developed standards to encourage sustainable harvesting of the world's lumber. They set forth criteria that address economic, social, and environmental concerns. Their criteria impact LEEDs (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) certification, and they work to ensure chain of custody certification as an integral part of the LEED certification process.

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

Forest Stewardship Council. http://www.fscus.org/ Viewed Feb. 23, 2010.

Thompson, J. W. and K. Sorvig. 2000. Sustainable landscape construction. Island Pr. Wash., D.C. 348 pp.

Bear Creek Lumber. http://www.bearcreeklumber.com/ Viewed Aug. 20, 2009.

Paloma Pottery. http://www.palomapottery.com/ Viewed Feb. 23, 2010.

Rubber Mulch. http://www.rubbermulch.com/ Viewed Feb. 23, 2010.