The idea of going green is more than just a trend. It is an idea that is here to stay. These days, there are many strategies, both large and small, to help make a commercial build more sustainable and eco-friendly. Here are some tips that can help make your next building project more sustainable:

•  Sustainability starts with an idea. While strategies to be more efficient can be used on buildings already in existence, the best way to go green is to build it that way. Address desires and needs for sustainability at the design phase of a build, right from the beginning.
•  Think literally. An obvious way to be more sustainable is to literally use plants. Going back to hanging baskets and climbing ivy, plants have always been used to bring life to a building, but you can go beyond old uses. Green roofs and rooftop garden systems help to lower greenhouse gas emissions by absorbing carbon dioxide. Another advantage is that gardens can aid in insulation and absorb rainwater runoff. Plants don’t have to be relegated to rooftops; living walls are also an option.
•  Take advantage of the sun. Solar panels are what many think of as an environmentally conscious building choice. However, smart use of the sun in a passive way is also effective. When the sun is used as an integral part of lighting, heating and cooling choices, it not only makes a building greener, but it  can also save money. While using the sun isn’t necessarily expensive, it can be complicated and requires careful design because each building is different. Factors such as climate and location have to be considered as well. Skylights can also provide natural lighting. There are other benefits, too. For example, using existing daylight and large windows can boost worker’s moods.
•  Use the water you have. We all hear about conserving water by making small changes like shutting it off while brushing our teeth. Water conservation can be applied to commercial builds. Dual plumbing systems, for example, separate potable water and reclaimed water from waste. With such systems, water from hand washing can, in turn, be used to flush toilets, for example. There are other choices that can conserve water. Grey water, or collected rainwater, can be used to water the rooftop garden and other landscaping.
•  Choose the right materials. Materials that retain heat well will reduce energy usage. Energy efficient light bulbs and sensors to control brightness lower the amount of electricity used. Implementing an environmental management system can reduce waste and increase recycling. Insulation is available in more than the traditional pink fiberglass variety. Materials such as newsprint, milk bottles and even denim can be used to make insulation. Choosing recycled and sustainable insulation can have a big impact. Moreover, windows can now be made of “smart glass” that reduces the work of an HVAC system.

Keeping green solutions in mind when designing a commercial build can pay off by making an impact on the environment while also making an impact on the wallet over time.

Have questions about sustainable buildings? Contact an expert at ACI today.

Remember that saying, “reduce, reuse, recycle”? It’s more than just a chant that can get stuck in your head. Construction and demolition (C&D) can create an alarming amount of waste, and recycling as much of this material as possible is one small, but an impactful step in doing your part for the environment. Although it can take more effort on a construction company’s part to recycle instead of simply tossing materials into the nearest landfill, there are lots of bonuses to recycling these materials that can benefit your business*.

Minimize your carbon footprint.

By and large, using recycled materials requires less total energy than using brand new materials. By adopting the recycling process into your standard operating procedures, you can pitch in toward less total use of net energy, which results in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Reduce landfill waste.

Each truckload of materials that are recycled is exactly one truckload of materials that don’t get dumped into a landfill. As landfills fill up with construction debris specifically, they produce hydrogen sulfide, which carries a high health risk for people in the proximity. The less C&D materials ending up in a landfill means less gas that is produced by these materials and also requires less land that would be needed for a landfill.

Create new jobs.

Recycling is a process that requires a combination of manual labor and automated manufacturing. Human beings are needed to sort and organized recyclable materials to ensure they end up in the right places so that they can be repurposed. The more debris you send to be recycled, the more people are needed to move these materials through each stage.

Save you and your clients money.

Many construction materials can actually be reused instead of thrown away. When you’re doing a remodel, try to see if you can repurpose some of that drywall you’re tearing down. If you look for ways to integrate gently used materials back into a project, you’re going to save both you and your client’s dollars on the back end. Plus, fewer materials that have to be disposed of, the lower your transportation costs.

Gain a competitive edge.

The many ways companies and businesses can work toward using green construction and creating  green buildingshave made being environmentally conscious an expectation when clients are searching for a company to use for their next project. Recycling can set you on the right path to working toward a LEED certification, and these efforts can give you the edge over your competitor for being the most environmentally friendly choice as a construction partner.

For more information on how recycling C&D materials can benefit your next project,  contact an expert at ACI today.