As more people become interested in creating structures that are non-toxic and environmentally friendly, the inclusion of green building products in the construction of homes, offices, and plant facilities has become more common. There are actually a number of different resources that can go into the creation of sustainable architecture and help reduce the damage done to the planet’s ecosystem. Here are some examples of green building products and how they are often used.
Recycled materials are one of the keystones of sustainable building. Because there is little or no additional material required to make these already created materials viable in constructing homes or other buildings, there is no additional drain on the earth’s resources. Green building products such as old tires can be used in the creation of insulation, decorative elements such as baseboards or pipe systems within the home.
Renewable resources are also important to the green builder. In particular, renewable resources that are intentionally sustainable, such as harvested wood that is routinely replaced with new plants as each harvest is made. This type of sustainable management helps to ensure that future generations will also have resources to use in the creation of environmental building projects. Typically, the harvested wood is certified as sustainable by a third party organization.
Rescued materials from local buildings is also an excellent source of green building materials. These offer the advantages of not involving additional manufacturing and not having to be transported from distant places, thus cutting back on the amount of fossil fuels consumed during the building project. Rescued or reclaimed timbers, bricks, and other elements also help to keep construction costs down, since these materials are often available for far less than newly manufactured materials. The cost factor alone often makes this type of green building products attractive to people who are not particularly concerned with the state of the environment.
Natural materials that can be used for building are often environmentally friendly and can provide the basis for a comfortable home or office building. Straw is an example of a natural resource that can be used for this purpose. Straw bales made from materials left after the harvest time can be used to create interior and exterior walls for a home, essentially using a resource that is usually allowed to rot or is ground into fodder for animals.
Whether reclaimed, recycled, or materials that would normally go to waste, the use of these green building products helps the environment in several ways. First, they help to prevent many materials from ending up in landfills and garbage dumps. Second, they reduce the need to utilized limited resources to create new structures. Last, they make it possible to ensure that future generations can enjoy a quality of life that is at least as comfortable as that enjoyed by people living today.
