Sustainable building materials are a key to constructing environmentally friendly homes that also enhance comfort and quality of life. They may also improve your home’s resale value and help you save money on utility costs.
Sustainable building materials are often sourced from locally harvested and manufactured resources. This helps reduce transportation emissions and stimulates the local economy.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is a powerful tool that can help families and businesses reduce their carbon footprints. It can also improve home comfort and quality of life.
Energy-efficient products and technologies, such as ENERGY STAR appliances and LED light bulbs, can help lower energy bills. This can make a big difference to low-income households, especially those with high energy burdens.
For instance, if the average family spends 50 percent of its income on energy, installing energy-efficient products could bring down the household’s monthly energy bill, which could be used to put food on the table.
Energy efficiency also helps reduce air pollution by lowering the amount of fossil fuels used for power plants, which burn coal, natural gas and other dirty resources that emit harmful greenhouse gases. This is important because it reduces the risk of climate change and will help us transition to a more sustainable energy system.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by your everyday activities. This includes driving to work, using your heating and cooling system, purchasing goods, and travelling.
Your personal carbon footprint will vary depending on your lifestyle and how you shop. However, a general rule of thumb is that the more you consume the higher your carbon footprint.
Buying fewer goods, switching to reusable items such as utensils and water bottles, and shopping locally will help reduce your overall carbon footprint. It also helps reduce waste by using less packaging and reducing the amount of food you buy.
Building materials also have a significant impact on the environment. This is known as “embodied carbon” and results from the energy-intensive production of cement, steel, aluminum, glass and insulation materials.
Reduced Waste
Reduced waste, also known as source reduction, can be achieved through a variety of actions. From using reusable materials to buying products that can be recycled, reducing waste helps preserve natural resources and prevents materials from going into landfills.
Reusing building materials instead of purchasing new ones can help lower the overall cost of the project and save money over time. Reusing existing materials can also help cut down on the energy needed to transport them from their sources and eliminate the need for new buildings that create new landfills.
Reclaiming, or reusing, is the process of using materials that would otherwise go to waste for another purpose, such as a building’s interior walls, floors, ceilings, windows and doors. Reclaimed materials can be repurposed in a range of ways, such as adding them to gardens, indoor plants, or other areas around the home.
Increased Comfort
One of the most important benefits that sustainable building materials can bring to your home is increased comfort. This is because sustainable products emit far fewer toxic fumes and carcinogens than conventional building materials.
For example, you can install natural wool carpeting in your home that reduces harmful VOC emissions and improves air quality. Or you can use an air system that brings fresh, filtered outdoor air indoors.
In addition, you can improve your homes energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprint by installing ENERGY STAR appliances and high-efficiency lighting. These changes help you save money, increase your home’s value and lessen the effects of climate change.