Earth-Friendly Flooring

Tile

What it is: Made of ceramic, glass, or stone, tile has unrivaled durability. It works in high-traffic areas such as entries, kitchens, and hallways. Manufacturers now offer more floor tiles with the look and color range of stone, ceramic tile, terra-cotta, or terrazzo, but with recycled content.

What makes it green: Recycled-content tile makes use of otherwise wasted by-products diverting glass, used tiles, granite dust, stone tailings, and unfired material from landfills and offsetting its high "embodied energy" cost (price of energy required to get a product from its source).

Cost: $4 to $24 per square foot.