3 MIN READ
8-31-2024
The Future of Construction: How Sustainable Practices Are Transforming the Construction Industry for a Better Future
Alex Schulze , CEO/Co-Founder
The Future of Construction: How Sustainable Practices Are Transforming the Construction Industry for a Better Future
The climate crisis continues to worsen year after year. Thankfully, industries across the world are responding to a simple call to climate action: implement sustainability in their individual sectors. Among these industries is construction.
Development across the world continues to rise and the world population continues to burgeon: in 2004, the population was about 6.5 billion – today, that figure is well over 8 billion. This, unsurprisingly, means more construction in every corner of the world. This traditionally resource-intensive sector is making progress in its shift toward sustainability.
Construction projects big and small are aiming to reduce their emissions by transitioning to sustainable construction practices. In some cases, companies have pledged to increase the use of low-carbon emissions concrete or used other innovative practices to reach emission goals. Everyone in the industry has a role to play in shifting toward greener construction, whether it is plastic reduction in packaging or new methods for building homes.
Plastic use is on the decline
As construction continues to grow, there has been a shift away from plastics. The industry consumes about 20% of all plastics produced globally. Plastics in construction are used in pipes, insulation, flooring, roofing, and packaging materials. When these plastics are thrown out, they often become waste, which poses a serious threat to environmental sustainability.
To address these concerns, the construction industry is moving away from its heavy reliance on plastic. And as the industry shifts to greener building practices, the use of plastic at all levels of construction will continue to decrease.
Builders are shifting to using recycled plastics such as composite lumber, insulation, and even structural components. In some instances, upcycling is used to build new structures with materials that help promote sustainable practices and reduce plastic waste.
The rise in sustainable building practices
As green building practices continue to grow, so does the construction of sustainable buildings. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the most used green building rating system in the world. Today, there are nearly 200,000 LEED projects worldwide. These types of projects are reducing waste throughout the entire lifecycle of the building, from the design phase to operation and maintenance. These practices will decrease the detriments caused to the environment in the medium and long term.
In addition to formal regulatory labels, there are also other practices that are helping to transform how we build and live. Many new places of living are passive homes. They are specifically built to maximize the use of natural light and heating, and are well-insulated to regulate temperature.
Other homes that use passive heating systems include earthships. These structures are made of recycled material and use gray water systems. They can even have a food production system integrated into their build. These homes take what most people consider waste and turn it into a place to live. Michael Reynolds built the first earthship in the 70s; today, there are many of them in the southwestern USA and across the globe.
The industry’s commitment to shift to green building practices signals a promising future. Innovation and collaboration will continue to help builders pave the way toward a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly industry.