Sustainability has become a pressing concern for the majority of industries, both in the UK and globally. Since the COP26 summit in Glasgow at the end of 2021, the UK has re-affirmed its commitment to a net-zero carbon emissions policy; meanwhile, public mood over the growing climate crisis has increased pressures on businesses to address their emissions.
Construction in particular is an industry with a high carbon cost. But times are changing, and new options are available to improve on emissions. What changes can be made to improve your construction business’ sustainability?
Sustainable Materials
The most direct manner in which a construction business can address its sustainability is in terms of the materials with which it works. Many commonplace construction materials have a high carbon cost, and one which isn’t often interrogated by the outfits that make regular use of them.
Concrete, for example, is the product of one of the most pollutive industries on Earth – with the global cement industry responsible for up to 8% of man-made carbon emissions globally. Likewise, plastics see regular use despite their non-biodegradability, and the toxic emissions for which they are responsible.
There are many abundant alternatives to reliance on pollutive materials; sustainable building practices commonly include the use of renewable and recyclable wood products, and recycled or reformed plastics. A top-down approach to incorporating sustainable materials as a function of design can help shift carbon reliance, while continuing in the construction of high-quality builds.
Sustainable Supply
The shift away from materials with a high carbon cost also requires addressing the routes by which materials are received. Import routes and supplier practices have an unignorable additive effect to the carbon footprint of construction materials.
By re-addressing your business’ supplier relationships, you can forge new partnerships with eco-friendly organisations that reflect your low-carbon mission in both ethos and practice. Your internal supply and logistics can also benefit from shifts to sustainable alternatives; electrifying your fleet is a strong start.
Tools and Equipment
Electrifying your business’ fleet is also a strong start to a wider interrogation of your business’ equipment-based carbon cost. Petrol-powered tools and generators can represent a high level of direct carbon emissions, with some simple changes possible to reduce your sites’ carbon footprint.
With regard to power generation, petrol generators are a common find on sites. But these can be inefficient, especially if oversized for the energy requirements of the site. There are also biodiesel-powered alternatives that can further reduce on-site pollution.
Waste Management
Lastly, waste management is an important but often underserved part of proper construction site management. Waste materials from large-scale demolition and construction projects are conventionally recycled, with concrete ground down for aggregates and metal recycled. Waste materials like plasterboard are less easily disposed of, owing to their toxic by-products.
In construction, the impact of waste can be minimised through the close scrutiny of material usage on site. High efficiency in material usage minimises offcuts and leftover materials, with an overall positive effect on a given project’s pollutive cost.