I know this is really old, and I don't make it a practice to dredge up and comment on old threads, but since I found this while Googling today, I figure someone else may find it in the future, too. So, I thought I'd add my two cents. First... I think the concern about toxins leaching into the compost is a non-issue. This is especially true if only the outside of the posts are painted, as, it would seem, would be the case in the scenario posted by the OP. Second... while I know the original post here does not quite fall into this category, I have noticed a certain inconsistency and perhaps even hypocrisy among some "environmentalists" (largely among well-educated and affluent people I know who also rail against "consumerism".) It does not, for instance, help the earth if you buy an expensive new elaborate plastic compost bin. It's the "Whole Foods" phenomenon... a whole business has grown up around making consumers feel virtuous. Along those lines... it would also usually be better to use whatever old paint or stain you happen to have on hand, rather than buy a can of new "environmentally friendly" paint or stain. If you don't have any, ask your friends/neighbors/coworkers... most people have a large stock of half-empty cans. Better to use up whatever is going to be thrown away than to purchase new stuff. I stained the exterior of my pallet compost bin with some leftover deck stain.

Here's some more photos....I love my recessed toilet paper holder because the old one was attached at floor level behind the toilet! I read somewhere the ceiling is the 5th plane so this one is sky blue. The crown molding is recycled styrofoam....Tibron... and very inexpensive. Here's the floor plan for a 5 x 7 bathroom I copied from this Forum.

LOL Plllog :) I'd love to meet your knob and puller heh heh Do you only knock when the red light is on? :oP I actually am greeted by name at Vintage Hardware heh heh The owner came out to meet me (they want to reproduce my ceiling medallions) last time I was in. He purchased another home we were looking at last year. They're not green :) But they're local and it's important to me to support the communities we live in whenever we can. I'm going to have him over as soon as I finish unpacking so he can go through the house. He has never been here and is dying to get a peek at the brass and the medallions and he's a wealth of period information which I really need. Are you local? And who's your tile person? I'm not sure what we're doing about tile...we have several original fireplaces that need replacement pieces or have had some made but they're badly done. Someday we'll get around to fixing them as well (mind you the kitchen comes first because I'm tired of cooking on the back porch LOL). Carbon footprints...those are always buzz words Dh gets a giggle out of. We were up on the slope in ANWAR and this dude was bragging about his carbon footprint being so much smaller than ours because he does not own a car. DH did some calculations for the dork overnight and came back to show him his real carbon footprint in comparison to someone who commutes 30 miles a day. His was way larger...see he wasn't counting the carbon footprint his FLIGHT TO WORK weekly cost :) DOH again...sometimes it's all about perception and being cool, not being green at all. Avoiding exotic woods and not driving a Hummer to work are two easy and real green steps :) Ride sharing in your Hummer...not so much :P

Not sure what you mean by Eco friendly but in my city hardwood does not qualify as "green" (CALGreen) where the cutoff is a material that renews in less than 10 years. Cork, linoleum, and, bamboo would all qualify (I think: I only researched cork.) Not that hardwood isn't allowed. It just doesn't qualify for this particular option/isn't as "green" as other options. There are lots of things you could look into like the source of the wood (some is raised using sustainable forestry, some isn't) CARB2 and VOC specs for engineered solutions, etc.