Plastics in Your Energy Efficient Home

Welcome to Plastics Make it Possible’s Interactive Home. Hover over the various rooms and then click on the white buttons to learn how plastics can help make your home more comfortable and sustainable. Then, create your custom home and have it added to our gallery!

Roofing

Solar Power

Plastic films that capture the power of the sun represent a new wave in solar technology, along with new solar shingles that use plastics and look like typical roofing shingles.

Insulation

Plastic foam insulation in roofing systems helps keep hot and cold air where it belongs – whether outside or inside — to improve energy efficiency and save on utility bills.

Drainage

Poor water drainage can damage your home’s foundation. Plastic roof flashing, rain gutters, splash guards, rain barrels and other drainage products help move water away from your home.

Kid’s Room

Bed Guard Rails

Plastic guard rails can help keep little ones in bed at night, and their light weight makes them easy to install and remove.

Electrical Outlet Covers

Plastic outlet covers help keep little fingers away from electrical sockets – and they reduce air flow, helping to save energy.

Vinyl Wall Decals

Colorful vinyl plastic decals are the perfect option to brighten up and personalize your kid’s walls — and they’re readily removed without damaging drywall, paint or wallpaper.

Bathroom

Showers/Baths

Shower curtains and doors, bathtubs, and surround walls made with plastics come in a variety of colors and designs, are easy to clean and resist tearing and breaking.

Water Saver Showerhead

Plastic showerheads don’t rust. Look for water-saver showerheads that reduce water use by up to half.

Water Saving Dual-flush Toilet

Plastic tubing, gaskets, and flush mechanisms control water use; look for dual flush toilets that use one gallon per flush compared to five for conventional toilets, which helps reduce utility bills.

Piping

Plastic plumbing piping (solid and flexible) is often less expensive and easier to install than metal piping.

Tiles

Tiles made from vinyl plastic can look like ceramic or porcelain but often are less expensive and easier to install … and they’re durable and easy to clean.

Bedroom

Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detector

In residential smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, the wiring, sensors and entire device are encased in protective plastics.

Lighting/Fans

Lightweight plastics enable all sorts of creative designs in lights and fans; look for ENERGY STAR® lighting and fans to help save on energy bills.

Window Coverings

A variety of plastic window coverings help decrease home heating and cooling costs, from transparent heat-reflective films that block the sun to plastic cellular shades.

Exterior

Siding

Vinyl plastic siding maintains its freshly painted look for a long time, and requires little maintenance; a quick wash helps keep your home’s exterior looking sharp.

Solar Lighting

Outdoor solar lights made with plastics provide great accents in your yard or along your walkway, are easy and inexpensive to install, and have no impact on your energy bill.

Windows

Replacing older, inefficient windows with durable, low maintenance vinyl plastic windows can help save on energy costs.

Storage Unit

Plastic outdoor storage units are easy to assemble and stand up to a lot of bad weather, helping keep yard tools, toys, and sports equipment clean and dry.

Garage

Floor Mats

Tough plastic mats help protect your garage floors from leaks and spills while also helping prevent slips and falls and cushioning your work area.

Cars

Innovative materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics are increasingly used to build strong, lightweight vehicles. Plastic seatbelts and airbags are key contributors to safety.

Tools/Lawn Tools

Plastics help make tools lightweight, from wheelbarrows to hedge trimmers to screwdriver grips.

Recycling Bins

Tough plastic recycling bins can stand up to a lot of hauling, dumping, dropping, liquids, rough weather…

Kitchen

Flooring

Vinyl plastic and plastic-composite laminate flooring is easy to install, often low-cost, and durable, with multiple designs to suit your tastes.

Countertops

Plastic-composite laminate countertops can resemble marble or granite, and they are easy to clean, durable and often less expensive than other choices.

Coffee Makers/Appliances

From coffee makers to blenders to refrigerators, plastics help make your kitchen essentials durable, lightweight and often more energy efficient; look for ENERGY STAR® products to save even more on energy use.

Family Room

Carpeting

Plastic fiber carpeting and foam plastic padding provide comfort. And today you can find carpeting made with recycled plastic bottles and foam padding made with recycled polyurethane plastic.

Electrical Gaskets/Seals

Installing foam plastic gaskets or seals under light switch plates and outlet covers is an inexpensive, easy and effective ways to reduce air flow and save energy in your home.

Stain-resistant Upholstery Fabrics

Sofa fabrics made with plastic fibers hold up well over time, and many plastic-based fabrics resist stains more effectively than those from plant-or-animal-based fibers.

Vertical Gardens

Indoor gardens or “living walls,” created with hanging pockets made from plastics, are a great way to grow plants, flowers – even food – right in your home.

Crown Molding

Plastic crown molding is inexpensive, easy to install and to clean, doesn’t require painting, and comes in many styles, from simple to ornate.

Plastics in Your Energy Efficient Home

Bathroom

Select Shower Cover

Plastic Door
Green Plastic Curtain
Flowered Plastic Curtain

Select Vinyl Tile

White
Pink
Blue

Select Dual Flush Toilet

White
Pink
Blue

Next Step

Bedroom

Select Window Coverings

Horizontal Blinds
Vinyl Shade
Vertical Blinds

Select Walls

Printed Vinyl Wallpaper
Striped Vinyl Wallpaper
Purple Paint

Select Light Fixture

Ceiling Fan
Decorative Plastic Lamp Shade
Decorative Plastic Chandelier

Previous Next Step 2 of 5

Kitchen

Select Flooring

Luxury Vinyl Tile
Plastic-Composite Laminate
Vinyl Sheet Flooring

Select Countertops

Corian® Black Marble
Granite Laminate
Blue Laminate

Select Cabinets

Cherry Laminate
Transparent Plastic Inlay
Red Laminate (shiny)

Previous Next Step 3 of 5

Family Room

Select Couch

Orange Plaid
Blue
Brown Faux Leather

Select Walls

Printed Vinyl Wallpaper
Striped Vinyl Wallpaper
Yellow Paint

Select Carpeting

Green
Beige
Pattern

Previous Next Step 4 of 5

Save & Share Your House

Thank you for customizing your house! Please enter a name of your house and your email address to submit your house to our gallery and be entered to win a $250 gift card to Home Depot.

Welcome to the DIY Corner!

Welcome to the source for innovative do-it-yourself tips for all of your home improvement and interior design projects using plastic! Learn how plastic can solve your design challenge from home improvement expert’s Jodi Marks and HGTV’s Brooks Utley.

KitchenAid® Talks Plastics

Head Designer of KitchenAid® tells Sissy Biggers why plastics are so important in the company’s products.

Brooks Utley from HGTV checks out the plastics within the homes at the Solar Decathlon.

Brooks Utley: 2011 Solar Decathlon Highlights

NOV 21, 2011 at 1:59pm

Recalling the Solar Decathlon—an event that challenged universities and their students to design, construct and demonstrate sustainable homes—the home that has stuck with me most is Caltech’s Compact Hyper-Insulated Prototype (CHIP) house. Specifically, I was struck by this home’s innovative use of outsulation—a term that refers to cellulose-filled batts fastened in layers to the outside…

Plastics in Your Energy Efficient Home