Construction is an already cumbersome project so why bother customers with sustainable materials? Why should customers and construction firms go out of their way to source sustainable materials? Why all the hustle? Why the extra mile? Aren’t houses fine the way they are?
When it comes to buying products, everybody thinks about where to buy them but rarely where the materials are sourced or how. It is not a serious concern for most buyers but when you look deeply at it, you may find that it is an idea we all would be better considering. Everything we purchase has some impact down the road on people, our environment and on businesses, possibly negative or positive. Most people would prefer it positive, right?
“Everything we purchase has some impact down the road on people, our environment and on businesses, possibly negative or positive. Most people would prefer it positive, right?”
Lately, consumers are becoming widely concerned about how the materials in their products are sourced and this is also taking the stage in the construction industry. It is no longer enough to have an aesthetically appealing home. It is no longer enough to do things as we did in the past with brick and mortar. A home today should also be built using sustainable materials. It should reduce the burden on the planet’s already scarce resources. Construction is an already cumbersome project so why bother customers with sustainable materials? Why should customers and construction firms go out of their way to source sustainable materials? Why all the hustle? Why the extra mile? Aren’t houses fine the way they are?
US Case scenario
In the US, construction and demolition waste account for 40% of all solid waste. In the European Union, 25%. The planet is not getting any bigger and people are not getting fewer so where does this leave the construction industry? It leaves a gap for innovativeness in terms of the materials used for construction in order to reduce these impacts. Construction firms must become more aware of what materials they source and how their suppliers’ source. Why? The impacts of unsustainable building practices speak for themselves including habitat destruction, desertification and loss of biodiversity. Remember, those birds and animals you enjoy seeing in their natural habitats on your vacations? Unsustainable building materials impact them negatively.
Using sustainable building materials seeks to use and reuse materials more productively throughout their full life cycle. Rather than invest time and money in newly manufactured items, we have several materials that still have durability and have a better impact on the environment. They come in all shapes, sizes and forms for example reclaimed wood and metals, recycled steel and plastic, bamboo, wool and precast concrete.
In order to make the shift to sustainable materials, we need a little convincing of the benefits besides reasons such as birds and animals. While we have concern for animals, every construction firm and house owner wants to know the personal benefit to them. Maybe, if there is something in it for them, it will be much easier setting the pace and motivation for a shift toward sustainable materials. What are the benefits? Why shift?
“In the US, construction and demolition waste account for 40% of all solid waste. In the European Union, 25%. The planet is not getting any bigger and people are not getting fewer so where does this leave the construction industry?”
In order to make the shift to sustainable materials, we need a little convincing of the benefits besides reasons such as birds and animals. While we have concern for animals, every construction firm and house owner wants to know the personal benefit to them. Maybe, if there is something in it for them, it will be much easier setting the pace and motivation for a shift toward sustainable materials. What are the benefits? Why shift?
Why sustainable materials?
Have you had to travel or order materials from other international countries because of a lack of supply on the local market? Have you gone through the process of finding international suppliers? Crossed borders looking for that wood or steel or …? You get the point. Fortunately, sustainable material, depending on your needs, can almost be sourced completely locally. What benefit is there to that? Local businesses get support through purchases in revenue, emissions from shipping across oceans and borders are reduced and overall costs are reduced. Who wouldn’t want that?
Recyclable materials require less energy. One of the reasons why this happens is because it takes less energy to create recyclable materials than using brand new materials. This is both in terms of manufacturing and transportation involved in producing and moving new materials to their final destination. Energy includes electricity and fuel involved in the process of creating new materials rather than reusing already existing material. Recycled materials are your best bet to create energy savings.
“Using sustainable building materials seeks to use and reuse materials more productively throughout their full life cycle.”
Ever driven or walked through cities with a lot of industrial smoke? Do you imagine what they could be produced with all that smoke and liquid waste? Where does all that waste go? Often, the smoke is inhaled and some liquid waste is disposed of in our water. Using recyclable materials reduces the impact of waste because it is being reused rather than dumped. That means it has an impact on the health of people and the environment in surrounding areas where this waste may have been disposed of.
Finally, sustainable materials are cost-effective. Like a thrift shop, where you can get all those designer clothes you could not afford at cheaper prices, sustainable materials come at a lower cost than conventional building materials. As mentioned earlier, considering the materials sourced locally also reduces shipping costs which would be higher for conventional materials sourced internationally. Everybody could do with some cost savings!
Considering these benefits on our environment, business cost and people, it is easy to justify a case for using sustainable building materials. Cost savings, better health and better environmental impact including our forests create a more favourable environment for constriction firms and people to create sustainable homes. What we build is only as good as what we build with.
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