Module 6: Green Building

Green Building Technologies and Practices

Materials

Buildings not only consume immense amounts of resources, they also produce large volumes of waste. You can greatly reduce both of these through green building practices. It is always preferable to reuse building products during a renovation, but, if that’s not possible, recycling is the next best option.

Construction waste is segregated from municipal waste and sent to “C&D” landfills in Georgia. Tremendous opportunities exist from reusing or recycling construction waste.

For more information about construction waste management, see: http://www.p2ad.org/documents/cd_home.html.

When purchasing new materials for your building, you should consider two main topics. First, try to specify locally harvested and manufactured materials. In general, the shorter the distance between producer and consumer, the less the impact on the environment.

The second item to consider when purchasing building materials is whether the product is labeled as an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP). Environmentally preferable products are goods that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to competing products that serve the same purpose. Environmentally preferable products include, but are not limited to, those that reduce toxicity and waste, contain recycled materials, minimize waste, conserve energy or water, and reduce the amount of toxins either disposed of or consumed

For a list of manufacturers of EPP in Georgia, see: http://www.georgiafacts.net/net/content/item.aspx?s=122136.0.5.3013

Another consideration when specifying building materials is whether they are rapidly renewable or from sustainably grown forests. Rapidly renewable resources are ones that can be planted and harvested within 10 years. Examples include bamboo, cork, wool, and wheat grass. These items are preferable because they require a smaller amount of land to generate the same amount of material as other resources. For more information about rapidly renewable resources, see: Rapidly Renewable Revolution, January • February 2006, Eco-Structure Magazine.

Sustainably-grown wood products come from managed forests and are harvested using sustainable practices, such as protecting biodiversity. There are several third-party rating systems for sustainable forest product. You can see a matrix of some at the following web site: Forest Certification Resource Center

For the purposes of LEED certification, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has the only rating system that is used. For more information about FSC, see: http://www.fsc.org.

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