Guest Post: Sustainably Sourced Materials & Doing Your Bit for the Environment During Your Next Building Project

We’d like to welcome guest writer Grace Nolan who writes on the importance of using sustainably sourced materials and sharing this information with all folks taking on a new building project.

Architectural details of Welsh Assembly building. Wooden planks from sustainable sources. Eco-friendly design at its best. Source: Shutterstock

When building new houses and other construction projects, think about the materials you are using and how you can help the environment.

Becoming eco-friendly has become huge in all industries, such as, cutting down on paper used in an office, walking or riding a bike to work and using recycled materials.

Old construction and building materials are a major contributor to landfills. This needs to change as soon as possible and one of the ways you can help is to use natural, eco-friendly construction materials and recycle old construction supplies.

We all need to work together to keep our waste products to a minimum, especially non-biodegradable materials such synthetic carpets.

Here is a list of what you can do to help the environment during your next building project:

Reuse materials – Reusing materials from other building sites is a great way of helping the environment. When things are thrown out, it doesn’t mean they can’t be reused. There are lots of materials that can be salvaged and used again, you just have to look for them.
Eco-friendly materials – It can be hard to find materials that are natural or have been made from recycled materials but you just need to make sure you look closely at the label or ask somebody before you buy it. Some sustainable products which can be used are: Slate tiles, natural carpets and no VOC paint.
Recycle – When building a new house or property, you may find that you have materials which have been overused and badly damaged that they need throwing away. If this is the case, please recycle as many materials as possible. You’ll definitely be helping out the environment.
Solar panels – Installing solar panels to a house or building will create green energy reducing the amount of power used to light and heat a property. They will also reduce costs and continue to generate energy by converting sunlight into electricity.
Insulation – Insulating a building will keep heat trapped inside for longer meaning there is less heating equipment being used. Some of the sustainable materials you can use for insulation are: wool, recycled newspaper and spray foam. These materials are eco-friendly and will help with heating any property.

When planning your next building project, think about the materials you’re going to use and how you’re going to recycle and reuse any materials you have left over when you’ve finished your project.

This guest post was written by Grace Nolan, a guest writer specialising in sustainable materials and the construction industry, on behalf of Beddard Roofing.

Photo: Welsh Assembly Building using sustainable planks from Shutterstock