According to Interplastic (St. Paul, MN), these materials offer thermal shock performance, consistent color, good cure properties and resistance to cracking during fabrication. "These products provide our customers the ability to place 'green' cast polymer marble, solid surface and engineered stone in the hands of builders and architects," said Daryl Francis, business manager, marble/casting products. The new materials offered include SIL90BA-220ECO unsaturated polyester, designed for general-purpose cast marble applications. It contains 5.5% rapidly renewable content and 15% post-consumer recyclate. SIL93BE-330ECO is an unsaturated polyester resin designed for solid surface applications; it has the same levels of rapidly renewable and post-consumer scrap content, plus is acrylic modified and contains UV stabilizers.

The third material in the new range, SIL90BA-585ECO, is an unsaturated polyester resin with 26% rapidly renewable content.

Developed by the USGBC, the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction. LEED points are earned for both post-consumer recycled and rapidly renewable materials. The points are awarded based on percent cost of the fraction of renewable materials. For each 10% of a construction material that is post-consumer recycled, and for every 2.5% of a construction material that is rapidly renewable, one point is awarded. Contractors or developers may use initiatives that encourage green building construction. —[email protected]