Nowadays, more and more businesses are looking towards sustainability. You can expect companies to look into green building certifications, energy efficiency for their buildings, and so much more. With this big and much-needed push for sustainability, especially since materials like sand are becoming more scarce, it’s easy to see why more construction companies are converting to more sustainable options for how they build, what they use to build, and the materials they choose. So, when it comes to your construction business and your upcoming projects, here are some ways to make them more sustainable.
Avoid Any Pitfalls
Alright, so no company wants to deal with any pitfalls, to begin with, but pitfalls can be both wasteful and costly. It’s so important that communication and effective planning is put into place to completely avoid any sort of pitfalls whatsoever. As more pitfalls happen, this means a higher chance of waste and energy being produced.
Choose Materials Wisely
A lot of manufacturers and suppliers, such as Watson Bowman Acme, boast about having materials that are environmentally friendly, high quality, and just work for the project that you’re doing. If you want to ensure your project is sustainable, then you need to have materials that are sustainable too. A construction project’s choice of materials has a huge impact on the environment.
That’s why it’s important to choose materials that have a low ecological impact both during manufacturing and when being used on the construction site. For example, concrete produces a lot of carbon emissions during production and shipping. You can reduce these by using alternatives like fly ash or recycled ceramics. When sourcing materials, you should try to work with suppliers who share the same values and priorities as you do. You can do this by asking for certifications and finding out if they have sustainability initiatives in place.
If you can find companies that are a good fit, it will be easier to make your construction projects more sustainable. This can even go for the tools that you’re using too. There are some tools and equipment (machinery included) that can be a more sustainable option. All of these little things add up, and if you want to be green-friendly, especially for accreditations, you’ll need to consider this anyways.
Look into Waste Management
For the most part, construction companies will outsource waste management. This is fine, but you’re going to have to keep some considerations in mind. Construction companies use a lot of materials during projects, and a lot of these materials end up going to waste. This waste is detrimental to the environment as it leads to pollution, especially of waterways. One way to reduce this waste is by implementing LEED practices. Another is to work with a recycling company that provides a single-stream service. This reduces the amount of pre-sorting needed and allows for more time to be spent on the project.
For the most part, some of this may be out of the control of the construction company, but you at least have the power to hire a waste management company that focuses on recycling. It’s also important to work with contractors who practice source reduction and who are willing to buy back unused materials. Lastly, reducing construction waste can be achieved by working with suppliers who can provide products that are delivered on returnable pallets.
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