 What are “green building materials”? The designation of materials as green has several main factors, including how bio degradable a product is, how and where it is harvested, and its effect on human health. There is a growing array of green materials that reduce or eliminate negative impacts on people and the environment, and manufacturers, building professionals, and owners can all help make buildings better by considering green materials for the 21st century.
Green building products generally aren’t less durable than the traditional options, and they don’t need to be any more expensive, either. Some studies find environmentally preferable options in paint and other home products to cost a substantial percentage less than others. That’s why it’s best to consider all options for materials, as some newer offerings were not factored into the way builders and manufacturers did business in past years. Green products can also boost the market value of a building and pay for themselves many times over.
Green Materials: Criteria
Here are some of the main factors that make building materials ‘green’. A product should be:
• sturdy and reliable for building
• recyclable
• bio degradable
• made from recycled products
• sustainable harvested where possible
• easy to re-use in a different building site
• efficient in controlling a building’s utility (electric or water) use
This is just part of a long list of features that make a building material more desirable for green construction. Lots of aspects of production and transport make a material more energy efficient, and a product can also be called green if it replaces a much less efficient material or process.
Health considerations also come into play: products manufactured without a lot of volatile compounds are the newest applicants for green status. The kind of products used in older paints, flooring and other materials are now avoided when possible. Ozone depleting HCFCs and harmful elements like lead, asbestos and arsenic are just a few of the toxic ingredients in old materials, some of which are still on the market. By contrast, a product that can proudly claim low VOC (volatile organic compound) is a good candidate for green building processes. Other materials help eliminate illnesses caused by old construction methods: mold-resistant materials are prized in creating healthy environments for owners and tenants.
Because the criteria for green building materials can be so confusing, it’s a good idea to find third parties for green building certification. Green certified materials contend well on the market, as buyers really keep an eye on the contents of what they are using in their homes. There are many sources for getting your products certified: government and private sector agencies collaborate to provide more concrete rating and certification systems for getting better, healthier and more energy efficient products to market. It’s past time to go with green materials for the homes and commercial spaces of the future.
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