Here at EcoSource, we’re committed to environmental sustainability. Often we talk about the points of environmental sustainability and “going green”. Many markets are concerned with their bottom line — and rightfully so — however it’s common for markets to overlook the long-term savings due to the perceived upfront cost of green building. Still, it’s surprising to learn that many construction companies don’t know that environmentally sustainable materials can have hard, long-term benefits to using those materials — far beyond just the initial cost.
Squashing the Stigma: Price and Integrity
There are a few stigmas that exist within the environmental sustainability construction market. One is that recycled materials are not as strong as new materials, and another is that they are too expensive to use. Let’s take a look at recycled concrete aggregate as a good example.
Recycled concrete aggregate is a great example of an environmentally sustainable construction material. Recycled concrete aggregate is created when old concrete is crushed down into small stones, and can be mixed into future concrete mixes, used to fill spaces, or something else. Recycled concrete aggregate is actually cheaper than comparably standard gravel as there is much less work having gone into creating concrete aggregate. The price difference for some people can be $6 per ton of crushed concrete, versus $18 per ton of crushed gravel. That’s a huge price difference. On top of this, crushed concrete can be just as strong as gravel or pea gravel.
Did you know that a lot of construction materials are already recycled? For example, not 100% of asphalt is brand new. Rubberized asphalt often uses old tires to frequently lay down asphalt on roadways, tracks, and more. Composite planks, often used for stairs for homes and decks, are made up of composite and often recycled materials such as sawdust and plastic pieces. These are just a couple of environmentally sustainable materials that we use often that have proven their worth.
Reducing your Footprint & Selling Yourself
On top of reducing your construction costs with recycled materials, you’re also helping reduce your footprint on the planet. That means a lot of different things:
- Less carbon emissions
- Less materials going into landfills for other people to deal with
- Less single-use product usage in things such as packaging
- Less demand on brand new material production
On top of this, you can tout to your customers that you are going green and committing your construction company to using sustainable products. Your customers will be excited to know that they are hiring a company that is committed to helping keep our planet safe and green. This could even be the additional push needed for some customers to decide they want to hire you over the other guy!
Tax Credits for Energy Savings, Donations & More
Did you know that you can often take advantage of tax credits for partaking in green building projects? Often, environmentally sustainable builders can take advantage of green tax credits and deductions to help make their bottom line a lot larger. On top of this, you can also pass the savings along to your customers. Lastly, you can donate any unused salvage materials for a charitable deduction on your taxes. That sounds like a real win!
How are you working to make your company more environmentally sustainable? Let us know in the comments below!
