 The concept of sustainable building involves and integrates a variety of strategies during the design, construction and operation of building projects. The use of green building materials and products represents one important strategy in the design of a building. Using green building materials and products promotes conservation of nonrenewable resources internationally. In addition, integrating green building materials into building projects can help reduce the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, transport, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling and disposal of these building industry source materials.
When you are building a green project, there are a few steps to select what you are going to use in order for the project to be a success. Before you begin going to the store, create a plan on what you want and how you are going to accomplish it. Set some criteria on things such as your budget, energy use, water conservation and so on.
After you have a set of criteria in mind, it is time to do some research. This involves gathering technical information to be evaluated, including manufacturers' information. You should also look up warranties, tests on toxicity, and speak with dealers about information on the products and companies’ ethics. In addition, this step may involve researching other environmental issues, regulations, talking to a green building resource or dealer and other sources of product data. Research helps identify the full range of the project’s building material options. It also helps you to make an informed decision before buying anything.
After you have done your research, it is time to evaluate your choices. Evaluation and assessment is relatively simple when comparing similar types of building materials using the environmental criteria. However, the evaluation process is more complex when comparing different products with the same function. Then it may become necessary to process different types of data. A life cycle assessment is an evaluation of the relative "greenness" of building materials and products. Assessing the life cycle addresses the impacts of a product through all of its life stages. You can usually make a list of pros and cons when all this is ready for decision time.
The last step is the selection of what you are going to do. This builds on the previous step of evaluation. The total score of each product evaluation will indicate the product with the highest environmental attributes. Individual criteria included in the rating system can be assessed to accommodate project-specific goals and objectives. From here, you can make a well-planned decision on your project and feel good about it. EnviroCitizen.org encourages you to follow these steps to selecting green building materials to allow you to buy the best green materials available to you.
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