EnviroHouse demonstrates that ecologically responsible living can be elegant, efficient and easy. It looks like a cute little cottage, and it has signs everywhere, like a museum, explaining its features.

There are conservation messages throughout the house from several different organizations including City of Tacoma’s Solid Waste Management, Surface Water Management, Waste Water Management, Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water.

According to City of Tacoma’s community relations person, Michelle Warmuth, Tacoma’s landfill was chosen as the location for EnviroHouse because the landfill gets a lot of traffic, especially on the weekends, and it’s a place where people who are there to drop off recycled materials can see their recycled goods at work.

The EnviroHouse sidewalk is made of rubber recycled from tires. The deck is made of sustainable tigerwood. The paint used has low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compounds).
Inside the house there are a ton of “green” idea’s including things you might not ever consider, such as counters made of recycled paper, tiles made of recycled glass, floors made of sustainable bamboo wood, and furniture made from organic fabrics.
Energy-saving ideas shown include use of compact fluorescent bulbs and Energy Star certified appliances (dishwasher, water heater, refrigerator, washer and dryer, etc). Also, there is a display inside the house featuring insulation made from several different kinds of recycled materials.

Water conservation ideas include harvesting rain with rain barrels, using low-flow showerheads and faucets (which are not to be confused with low-pressure!) and landscaping with native plants. The environmental advantage of using native plants is that they require less water, fertilizers and pest chemicals.