Are eco-friendly building materials sustainable?

The popularity of green construction materials has witnessed rapid growth since the last decade. Almost every major construction company is trying to express its responsibility towards sustainability by controlling its activities that could harm the environment. One way they employ is using green construction materials. The use of such materials is nothing new. Many construction companies have tried it in many instances. However, there was a concern that the use of such materials would increase the construction cost. So, they only undertook this approach for high-value constructions to recover the expenses. With improvements in technology, the cost of using green construction materials has reduced, and their usage has increased too.

The use of green construction materials is considered the best of all green initiatives a construction company can undertake. Moreover, the general attitude of society towards environmental care has changed a lot. When a construction company announces that it has used eco-friendly building materials, its value increases as the public perceives the company as a responsible entity. Corporations have been trying to strike a balance to ride on this positive emotion of the public. They have been trying to deliver sustainable products by using green construction materials. This has led to the introduction of a few unique green construction materials in the construction industry. Some of these materials are as follows:

1.Recycled steel

No construction can be complete without the use of steel. Now, the entire production and supply chain process of steel adversely affects the environment. So, the only way responsible construction companies have is to minimize the effect by employing recycled steel instead of fresh steel. There is no structural difference between fresh steel and recycled steel. So, it can be used for construction purposes without compromising on the quality of the structure.

2.Sheep's wool

The use of chemicals had been widespread for insulating the newly constructed walls. Since it was discovered that the chemicals can be effectively replaced by sheep's wool, construction companies started using the natural material. Such companies have benefitted a lot from it. Today, almost all major construction companies have started using sheep's wool.

3.Bamboo

Bamboo is one of the most versatile eco-friendly building materials. In recent times, its usage has increased a lot for flooring. Instead of using hardwood, construction companies are using bamboo. This has also brought in an aesthetic improvement in the design.