Sustainability has become a crucial element of city, state, and government development policies. The truth is that people are becoming aware of the damage we’re doing to the planet. There’s no miracle cure, it’s simply not possible to instantly stop all the things we do that damage the environment.
However, everyone can take steps to reduce their environmental impact; that’s individuals, business owners, and government at all levels. There has been a dramatic increase in interest in green building.
A survey completed in 2022 showed that there are over 283 million cars registered in the US. Our love affair with the car isn’t about to end soon. Even if everyone switched to electric vehicles, we’d still need roads and parking.
That’s why it’s important to look at the most environmentally friendly parking solutions.
Installing Asphalt
Asphalt has always been a good choice for parking as it is extremely durable and can handle heavy loads passing over it. Businesses can choose to have their parking lot converted by an approved asphalt paving contractor, leaving them to focus on running their business.
One of the biggest benefits of asphalt is that it’s recyclable. Asphalt is made from aggregates such as rocks, sand, and gravel, and combined with bitumen. This is a sticky petroleum-based substance.
In other words, creating asphalt does require fossil fuels. However, because the asphalt can be fully recycled, its impact on the environment is surprisingly low. Old asphalt is treated at a special plant to grind it into small particles. These are mixed with new particles and heated, making new asphalt.
The minimal introduction of new particles and the fact old asphalt isn’t going to landfill, make this an attractive environmentally friendly solution.
As a bonus, it needs very little maintenance.
It’s worth noting that, during the mixing stage, asphalt has a significantly lower carbon footprint than concrete. It’s also easier and lighter to transport, reducing energy and fuel usage in transportation.
Impressively, asphalt also allows water to soak through, reducing the risk of flooding and encouraging the natural water cycle. All you need to do is choose a company that endeavors to be sustainable.
Eco-Friendly Pavers
These are a compromise between concreting a parking lot and leaving it natural. The pavers are designed as a grid, creating enough strength for vehicles to drive over. Each grid is empty, allowing you to fill it with gravel or even grass. This encourages water to drain through, reducing the likelihood of flooding and allowing water to return to the ground.
However, the pavers are still made of concrete and a lot of time will need to be spent on maintaining this type of parking surface. The hollow parts of the pavers will quickly fill with weeds or grass and become unsightly. If left, the pavers will disappear under the weed/grass.
Of course, creating concrete generally has a large carbon footprint, making these a less environmentally friendly option compared to asphalt, although better than concreting the entire parking lot.
Plastic Pavers & Grass
Plastic pavers are designed in a similar way to eco-friendly pavers. They consist of a plastic frame with holes that can be filled with grass. The pavers provide strength, allowing you to have a grass parking lot without the hassle of ruts and mud.
This type of paver allows maximum water drainage, which allows water to be recycled into the ground and refill the natural water channels.
However, plastic pavers are only capable of supporting lighter loads. In addition, too much traffic is likely to kill the grass, making it an unsightly parking lot.
You should also note that plastic doesn’t biodegrade. Using these will contribute to the already high levels of plastic waste in the world. That’s why it’s not the most popular environmentally friendly solution. If you choose this, it’s advisable to find a supplier of recycled plastic pavers.
Add Plants
Adding plants to a parking lot can make it appear more attractive. That’s important if you want your business to appeal to as many customers as possible. However, it’s important to choose the right plants.
Trees are beneficial as they can provide shade, and they’ll also help absorb excess water, preventing flooding on your lot. In addition, shrubs and flowers can be planted in raised beds. Choose plants native to your area and they’ll thrive while helping keep excess moisture away from your parking surface.
Summing Up
To create an environmentally friendly parking solution you need to think carefully about the material you use and how it is created. It’s also important to consider durability. An environmentally friendly solution that needs to be replaced every few years will potentially be more damaging to the environment than one that lasts 10 or 20 years.
That’s why we think recycled asphalt is potentially the best solution for environmentally friendly parking areas.