Principles of Sustainable Materials
re-use and efficient use of materials
Re-use of materials and/or use of environmentally friendly materials should be viable on any project, whatever its scale, location or functional specification. Materials reuse can be challenging, as it requires careful deconstruction and storage of materials until such time that the materials are required for reuse. However, use of new materials that are ‘environmentally friendly’ is now commonplace as most greener materials no longer cost any more than ‘standard’ materials; nor do they differ in terms of aesthetic or functional qualities.
environmentally friendly materials
Materials with the lowest environmental impact tend to have only minimal processing requirements. Examples of this include the use of timber and insulation made from sheep wool.
The use of petrochemicals in materials have significant environmental impacts as they are derived from fossil fuels and can have further implications for indoor air quality and occupant health. The specification of alternatives is a more environmentally friendly approach and examples include, amongst others:
-
water based paints
-
insulation from organic sources or from naturally occuring minerals, such as cellulose or cork board, or mineral wool
demolition
Demolition should be carried out as a last resort, where the building has deteriorated beyond the point where it can be reused. Wherever practicable, demolition should take the form of careful deconstruction to maximise the potential for re-use of materials.
local sourcing
Transport of building materials involves energy use, which counts towards the overall environmental impacts of the material. The amount of energy used for transport, particularly in the case of heavy or bulky materials, can be significant.
The most effective way in which to reduce these impacts is to limit the distances that materials are transported. A best practice approach would be to limit the radius for sourcing high mass materials to a radius of, for example, 30 miles. Alternative good practice measures include:
-
avoidance of international sourcing, for example use of UK rather than Chinese slate
-
organisation of deliveries to ensure that lorries have another load to transport on the return journey