Top eco-friendly innovations

From carpets made of old car tyres to window blinds which insulate the home, Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud unveiled his "top 10" eco-products to help people green their homes.

The Kevin's Green Heroes initiative aims to highlight innovative technology and ideas, and products which are new to this county or made by small companies or artisans.

Mr McCloud, who is launching his favourite eco-ideas at the Grand Designs Live show in London, said all of the chosen products were "extraordinary".

They include solar panels which generate hot water and electricity at the same time and are more efficient as a result, products such as cloths and sponges made from recycled plastic and wool insulation made from UK hill farm sheep.

The list ranges from eco-building materials and products which can be "retrofitted" to make houses greener and more energy-efficient to furniture and fittings from recycled products.

Mr McCloud said: "The salvation of humanity is going to depend on getting out of the carbon and resources hole by recycling, by being frugal and careful with resources, but also innovations in technology.

"These products represent the full gamut of solutions, from stuff which is cleverly recycled or 'up-cycled' to new technologies and hi-tech solutions."

He said that technology would have a "really significant role to play" in making living greener.

"We are all going to have to change what we do, how we live, quite significantly and we'll need a lot of help doing that.

"Technology is an enormous part of that, as well as recycling, how we buy and what we buy."

And he said Britain had great engineers and a "fantastic capacity for original thought" and could lead the way with developing solutions.

Mr McCloud's top Green Heroes are Tirex Carpet from InterfaceFLOR - carpeting made from recycled tyres. Mr McCloud said the carpet was "beautiful" and "amazingly durable" and should be used in all offices and in the home to tackle the 486,000 tonnes of old tyres thrown away each year.