Far too often, old countertops wind up in the landfill. You can avoid that by thinking ahead when you install new countertops, says Debbie Hindman, co-author of Sustainable Residential Interiors (Wiley, 2006) and marketing manager with Associates III in Denver.
"When you order a new countertop, have it installed so it can be easily removed in one piece and salvaged for reuse,” Hindman says. In addition to making your removal more efficient, this allows you to avoid mastics and adhesives, which frequently contain formaldehyde.