Landscaping:
Exterior Walkways (Rubber and Other), Recycled Plastic Lumber, Drainage products

..... Houses utilize natural resources in not only their structure, but also their siting. Residential landscaping can add significantly to the resource consumption associated with a dwelling, since in many areas conventional lawn and garden landscaping is resource intensive to produce and maintain. On the other hand, landscaping can reduce resource consumption through the significant role it can play in cooling, heating and ventilating a structure.
..... The popularity of non-native lawn grasses places an ever-increasing demand on scarce water supplies, particularly in the arid West. Techniques such as rooftop rainwater catchment systems, native plant landscaping and xeriscaping can help relieve the pressure on water supplies, and provide a means of maintaining native vegetation and habitat for wildlife.

Exterior Walkways (Rubber and Other)
..... Preventing excessive stormwater runoff is another important function of landscaping. Water that runs off of parking lots, streets and other paved areas usually does not soak into the ground, but can instead cause overloading problems at water treatment plants or contaminate surface water supplies with chemical residues from roads. Porous paving systems, vegetation strips, and land contours are all means of slowing runoff and capturing rainwater for irrigation and aquifer recharge.
..... Several publications on low-water-use and other low-input landscaping are now available, as is information on capturing and conserving water for irrigation use. Publications are available that provide information on planning and caring for energy efficient landscaping, tailored to a number of different climate zones. Informed and careful planning can help reduce the resource demand of a structure's landscaping, and even of the structure itself.
..... Another means of reducing the high resource demands of conventional landscaping is to use recycled-content products for drainage structures, paving, fences, retaining walls, and outdoor furniture. Some examples of recycled products designed for those purposes, such as recycled rubber or glass pavers, are listed here.

Recycled Plastic Lumber
..... One of the most popular recycled landscaping products is recycled plastic lumber. Recycled plastic lumber and plastic/wood composite lumber provide durable, weather-resistant, low-maintenance alternatives to solid wood for exterior applications such as fences, benches, decking, docks, retaining walls, picnic tables, and landscape borders. Plastic lumber is currently approved for use only in non-structural applications, since it does not have strength comparable to wood lumber. Plastic lumber can readily substitute for treated wood in non-structural applications, however, due to its weather- and insect-resistant nature. Plastic lumber is rot and corrosion proof, and will not crack, splinter, or chip. It has a long life expectancy in exposed, sub-grade or marine applications, and does not leach chemicals into ground or surface water or soil as treated wood can.
..... Plastic lumber resists vandalism and does not require painting or staining. It is available in a variety of colors, including white, although many companies have a standard color of either brown or black, and produce colored lumber only for custom orders. These products can be nailed, screwed, sanded, glued or turned on a lathe with standard woodworking tools. One challenging aspect of working with plastic lumber is its high expansion coefficient, which must be considered during installation.
..... Plastic lumber manufacturers have proliferated recently, and they offer a wide variety of products. Some companies use only HDPE plastic, while others utilize commingled plastic waste which may include small quantities of paper and metal, as well as many different types of plastic resin. A few manufacturers mix plastic with recycled tire rubber. Some plastic lumber contains wood fiber, which helps strengthen the lumber and reduce expansion, looks and works more like wood, and can hold paint or stain.
..... Plastic lumber is available in a variety of profiles and sizes, including solid and hollow core products, complex extruded profiles, and tongue and groove designs. Quality and product performance may vary by manufacturer. Many manufacturers make available the results of independent testing of their products. Plastic lumber manufacturers have recently formed a trade association that is working to establish industry standards and define applications for future structural use of some products.

Drainage products
..... Other resource efficient landscaping products listed here include soaker hoses made from recycled rubber, drainage tubing with recycled PVC, drainage aggregate made from recycled EPS beads, and recycled plastic stepping stones. There are also listings for pavers that support drainage and grass growth while providing support for vehicles. Many of these pavers are made from recycled materials, and offer a great alternative to conventional hot and non-porous paving.