Building Green
As humanity’s environmental footprint continues to expand, builders around the world are looking for ways to cut back on their resources and find greener solutions. This change will take time to implement, but it’s necessary for the future prosperity of our species and planet. Here are five ways construction companies can build green and create more sustainable projects>>>
Monitor Fuel Consumption
As you build, it’s important to monitor the fuel consumption of your tools and equipment. The burning of fossil fuels like oil and gas is a significant contributor to artificial climate change, so every effort helps. You can switch to electric vehicles to offset some of that consumption and transition to a more sustainable power source. Many auto manufacturers have started producing electric and hybrid heavy machinery.
You should also implement a fleet monitoring system to track the fuel consumption of each vehicle. This system not only keeps your vehicles safe from thieves, but also enables you to find out which specific units use the most fuel. Reducing the usage of these problematic vehicles or replacing them with electric alternatives, can significantly reduce your site’s fuel usage.
Cut Back on Paper Usage
If your company still uses paper as your primary project management tool, you’re doing something wrong. There’s nothing wrong with printing important legal documents, but you should no longer use it for blueprints, drawings, project specs, and payroll. You have far too many online tools at your disposal.
Today’s cloud-based project management software enables you to schedule the transportation of materials, calculate costs, perform risk assessments and track the project’s progress, among other things. You can also get your staff more closely involved with the planning process, making their jobs easier and allowing everyone to discuss environmentally beneficial solutions to problems around the site.
Use Eco-Friendly Building Materials
Instead of using cheap artificial goods like plastic and drywall to build your structures, switch to eco-friendly building materials. Wood and stone are the most practical and cost-effective solutions. They should serve as the building blocks for your projects from now on. They last longer and are more visually pleasing.
You should also create more eco-friendly materials like concrete from organic ingredients to give your projects a little more variety. Here are some other naturally-occurring materials you might use:
- Masonry
- Cork
- Bamboo
- Adobe brick
- Straw bale
- Cordwood
Even smaller-scale products like paint and insulation have green alternatives that conserve energy and contain fewer harmful chemicals. The entire building can consist of natural and simplistic materials if you take the time and effort to find them.
These products might be more expensive and difficult to acquire (especially if you only get them from local sources), but that’s a testament to their long-term value. You can’t think in the short term if you want to build sustainably. You want to think about creating lasting structures that will benefit the community and environment for decades to come.
Dispose of Waste Properly
Construction projects accumulate a lot of waste, including drywall, shingles, lumber, and other miscellaneous parts. You need to find better waste disposal solutions instead of shipping them off to a landfill. Start by disposing of glass, plastic, and metal at a recycling facility and finding new uses for other goods that still have value.
Most of the organic materials mentioned above have alternative uses. For example, you can convert lumber into mulch and easily transfer excess masonry to other projects. Metal objects can get smelted and converted into other products with entirely different functions. Using an item once doesn’t mean you have to throw it away.
You also need to control involuntary waste disposal, namely sedimentary runoff. Set up a silt fence around the perimeter to prevent hazardous materials from entering local water sources and ecosystems. This simple addition can significantly reduce pollution and soil erosion.
Work With Like-Minded Partners
Prioritize working with subcontractors and tradespeople who have similar ideas about sustainable construction. With similar environmental goals in mind, you can collaborate to create more sweeping solutions to your site’s problems.
A bit of peer pressure is also sometimes required to persuade stubborn companies into updating their business habits. When they see everyone around them stepping up to be more environmentally conscious, they will have no choice but to follow or get left behind. Harmful construction practices will only go away if we give eco-friendly solutions the opportunity to shine on a bigger scale.
Encourage your staff to be open and honest with each other about sustainability. If they see someone falling into bad habits, the rest of the team should be there to bring them back down to earth. Every day has countless opportunities to create a greener culture and work environment.
With enough time, you will create a network of like-minded business partners referring jobs to each other and bettering the community. Widespread change has to start somewhere, so why not be the catalyst for the change you want to see?
Build for the Future
The phrase “build for the future” takes on a new meaning when viewed through an environmental lense. We need to shift our focus from efficient structures to energy-efficient structures that will give back to the community and create a more harmonious world for our children and grandchildren.
By controlling fuel consumption and paper usage, utilizing green building materials, disposing of waste responsibly and working with like-minded people, you will create projects that have a lasting impact on everything around them. Stop building for the now and start building for the future!
Article by Jane Marsh
Author bio:
Jane works as an environmental and energy writer. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of
GCT Featured Articles
Oslo, Norway – Eco-Capital
Oslo: Net Zero Future | Oslo has fleets of clean mass public transit - trams, electric buses and ferries - powered...
Read PostClimate Solution – Sustainable Agriculture
Benefits of Sustainable Agriculture | Sustainable ag. turns farms into thriving biodiverse lands that produce...
Read PostSustainable City – CHICAGO
Chicago might not be widely known as a green city, however, the city has a Sustainable Action Agenda, a vast network...
Read PostVauban and the Plus-Energy Sun Ship
Vauban is an exemplary sustainable town and a zero-emission district. Most energy for buildings is from rooftop solar...
Read PostRegenerative Agriculture
Regenerative ag. creates carbon sinks; turning farms into healthy ecosystems that sequester carbon with vibrant plant...
Read PostAustin, Texas – A Sustainable City
Eco-friendly Capital | Austin is emerging as a leader in renewable energy, community solar, and LEED building efficiency...
Read Post12 Ways You Can Help the Environment
Lower your carbon footprint, save energy, and help the environment. Here are 12+ actions for sustainable individuals...
Read Post10 Ways to Reduce Food Waste
by Jane Marsh | Significant amounts of food waste originate from cities. Urbanites can use food waste reduction methods...
Read PostModern Sustainable Waste Management Technologies
5 Ways for SMART Cities to Implement Sustainable Waste Management | by Jane Marsh | Cities are implementing zero-waste...
Read Post5 Categories of Change in Climate
Climate change is adversely affecting all parts of the earth. There have been dramatic increases in greenhouse gas emissions...
Read Post10 Ways Smart Cities Improve Worker Safety
10 IoT Technologies for Sustainable Smart Cities | by Jane Marsh | As the conversation around greenhouse gas...
Read PostProfiles in Sustainable Cities – San Diego, California
Sustainable cities, like San Diego, have eco-city designs that prioritize consideration of social, economic, and environmental...
Read PostOffshore Wind Farms in the United States | Block Island Leads the Way
First of many US offshore wind farms | The United States' 1st operational offshore wind farm is the Block Island...
Read PostClean Energy Jobs are UP, and RE cost is down
Clean Energy JOBS | The future of employment in the energy sector is in clean energy, energy efficiency, and renewable...
Read PostKamuthi Solar Project, Bhadla Solar Park; and the largest solar PV farms in India, China, and other countries
Featuring over 2.5 million individual solar PV modules, and on 2,500 acres, in the town of Kamuthi in the Ramanathapuram...
Read PostUsing Technology to Provide Clean Water to Cities
How Technology Can Help Cities Avoid Another Flint Water Crisis | Article by Jane Marsh | The green movement is influencing...
Read PostHow Safe & Clean is Nuclear ☢️ Energy?
When looking at climate solutions for clean energy generation, it is prudent to look at all clean energy sources. Nuclear...
Read PostMicrogrids spread across Africa
Developing Microgrids | As African nations push for rural electrification, many look to microgrids as a sustainable...
Read PostFuture Generations of Batteries
Next generation li-ion batteries | Next-gen lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries can charge quickly, are rechargeable,...
Read PostClean Hydrogen Power
Hydrogen (H2) and the Clean Energy Transition | Hydrogen created with clean energy is one of the most promising...
Read PostNuclear – necessary energy
Both nuclear and renewable energy are needed in the global energy mix to help fight climate change. In order to cut...
Read PostCOP21 – good news for the planet
NDCs and Net Zero Pledges | At COP21, commonly referred to as the Paris Climate Accord, nations sent representatives...
Read PostPlan for the Expansion of Smart Meter Infrastructure
Modern SMART Meters | Many buildings in America today still rely on inefficient energy infrastructure, such as older...
Read PostRecycling – how we are doing as a global community; waste-to-energy
Effective waste management strategies for cities include citywide recycling programs, circular economy strategies, as...
Read PostPermanent ban on new coal mines and other sustainability priorities
Strategies for mitigating climate change | What are the best strategies for mitigating global warming? How is the...
Read Post10 Sustainable Technologies Improving Air Quality in Cities
GREEN Tech for Healthy Air | Article by Jane Marsh | Cities are the heart of every global region. They are headquarters...
Read PostShortfall in International GHG Reduction Pledges
Is the World Going to Meet its Climate Targets? There is a substantial shortfall between GHG emission reduction pledges...
Read PostThe Global Fight Against Climate Change; NDCs and Net Zero Targets Worldwide
Nationally Determined Contributions | As part of the ongoing global battle against climate change, almost 200 countries...
Read PostBreakthroughs in Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Solar Thermal Technology
Solar - the most abundant renewable energy on the planet | Recently there have been dramatic breakthroughs in solar...
Read PostRenewable Energy – Breakthroughs in Wind Energy
Onshore Wind Farms - Cheap and Clean Energy | Onshore wind farms now provide the least expensive form of energy, renewable...
Read PostEconomy vs. the Environment
Economic growth does not have to come at the expense of the environment. Sustainable technologies (such as renewable...
Read PostDesalination – Clean Water for a Thirsty World
The two desalination plants featured below; one in Carlsbad (San Diego county, California - featured photo), and one...
Read Post10 Countries Promoting the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Why Is There A Need For EVs Globally? In its World Energy Outlook, the International Energy Agency identifies pathways...
Read PostSmart City Energy Infrastructure
Updating Infrastructure for Developing Renewable Energy in Cities | People-centered smart cities are cropping up worldwide....
Read PostEVs and the Future of Urban Transit
Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure | What will be done to develop electric vehicle infrastructure? With cars that...
Read PostThe Role of E-mobility Trends in Decarbonizing Transport
Decarbonizing the Transportation Sector with E-mobility | It's no secret that transportation is a major source of...
Read PostPutting a Price on Carbon
Carbon Markets | Carbon cap and trade systems are regulatory policies in which countries, provinces, states, and even...
Read PostReforestation
Deforestation and solutions; including reforestation | Deforestation of our planet, for centuries, has led to issues...
Read PostThe UNFCCC
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – Conference of the Parties | World leaders, dignitaries,...
Read PostCarbon tax – a levy on pollution whose time has come
Defining effective carbon taxes | A carbon tax is a levy in countries and regions on: fossil fuel power plants, oil...
Read PostImproving energy efficiency
Energy Efficiency Foundations for Green Building: Energy Star, LED and CFL Lights, LEED technologies When it comes to...
Read PostDecoupling and Divestment to Reach Sustainability
Economic Growth Without Environmental Impact Decoupling in eco-environmental terms can be defined as economic growth...
Read PostISEGS – A Shining Example of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)
Ivanpah Solar Electrical Generating System (ISEGS) Ivanpah Solar Electrical Generating System (ISEGS) is a 392 MW solar concentrated...
Read PostCar-sharing and Ride-hailing
Sustainable Commuting | Many ride-sharing fleets are converting to electric cars. Car-sharing (a.k.a. ride-sharing)...
Read PostCalifornia – Current Progress of a Climate Champion
Learning From California's Struggle to Balance Decarbonization With Energy Resilience | Since California passed the...
Read PostA Close Look at San Diego’s HERO Program
San Diego, Green Buildings, HERO Program | The importance of green energy for use in homes and businesses is becoming...
Read Post