The rise of sustainability in the construction industry
RHC, a leading industrial construction contractor, has announced plans to offer solar energy construction services that will cater to oil and gas companies as well as industrial plants across the state of California. However, they’re not the only ones looking to combat climate change and reduce their carbon footprint. With sustainability becoming more and more prevalent, here’s how it’s impacting the construction industry.
Concrete production and manufacturing
Concrete production and manufacturing is just one aspect of construction that is known for being unhealthy to the environment.
Being extremely carbon emitting, concrete production and manufacturing contributes heavily to pollution – however, BizVibe has identified sustainable construction and the production of eco-friendly cement and concrete as a major trend for the industry, and there are a number of ways that construction companies can make a change.
For example, with steel and concrete manufacturing being so high in carbon emissions, making use of sustainable alternatives such as bamboo, recycled plastic, reclaimed wood, when possible can allow for a more eco-friendly change.
Protecting wildlife
When it comes to implementing environmentally friendly practices as a construction company or in regards to the construction site itself, protecting the environment and wildlife habitats is a great place to start.
LG Electronics USA presents just one example, as their company headquarters campus in Englewood Cliffs showcases eco-friendly design and takes care to preserve open space and ecosystems. However, taking smaller steps, such as ensuring that a construction company’s janitorial services are eco-friendly can be just as impactful.
Using green cleaning products and practices can reduce a company’s impact on the planet. This is because even the cleaning products that a construction company cause issues for wildlife when it comes to runoff. Conventional cleaners can also negatively impact the health of employees through side effects such as rashes and skin conditions, headaches, and can even lead to more serious issues such as cancer.
Issues regarding waste management
Waste management is a major problem in the construction industry as a whole, with construction and engineering producing as much as 530 tons of waste each year – most of which ends up in the landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Traditional stick built homes can be particularly harmful to the environment and produce significant amounts of waste, as most of the wood comes from mature trees, and much of the end product winding up in landfills or burned (which contributes to further pollution).
However, Environmental Technology Group, or E-Tech’s new construction technique can eliminate this issue via a process that includes outsourcing individual sub-components to specialized plants that will allow for easy assembling.
The construction industry is well known for negatively impacting the environment, though sustainable changes are on the rise and gaining traction quickly. From the benefits of utilizing eco-friendly building materials to proactively protecting wildlife, positive changes can be seen in a number of impactful ways.
