Did you know that construction and demolition waste accounts for over 40% of total solid waste globally? With sustainability becoming increasingly crucial, the construction industry is shifting towards eco-friendly practices. One area where this change is making a significant impact is in the use of sustainable drywall.
Traditional construction materials, including standard drywall, often harm the environment. However, sustainable drywall offers numerous advantages, both environmental and practical. By adopting sustainable practices, we can reduce our environmental footprint while maintaining high-quality construction standards.
It All Starts with Sourcing Sustainable Drywall
Gypsum, the core material in most standard drywall products, effectively serves its purpose but at a high environmental cost due to the mining process. By switching from mined gypsum to alternatives such as recycled gypsum or other eco-friendly options, we can significantly reduce this impact.
Recycled drywall solutions are excellent because they cut down dramatically on the amount of mining that needs to be done to meet the world’s needs for drywall materials. Just like with many other materials, the more drywall recycling programs can be used, the better off everyone will be in the end.
Optimizing the Manufacturing of Eco-friendly Construction Materials
It’s not just the materials that are used in drywall that impact the eco-friendly nature of the products that are produced. The manufacturing process itself is also important to consider, as manufacturing on an industrial scale can be quite harmful to the surrounding environment.
As a starting point, it’s helpful to manufacture drywall in a plan that is energy efficient and uses as much renewable energy as possible. Sources of energy like solar and wind are incredibly important to the sustainable future of the planet. Other ways for a manufacturing plant to be improved in terms of efficiency include recycling the water that is used in production and finding ways to minimize the waste that heads from the plant to the landfill. That can include improving the manufacturing layout to eliminate unnecessary waste, as well as finding uses for leftover materials so they aren’t thrown away.
Enjoying Other Benefits
One thing that is often lost along the way when talking about eco-friendly endeavors is that these steps are often just as important for people as they are for the planet as a whole. When things are done in a sustainable manner, it’s typically the case that everyone benefits.
An example of this concept in action can be seen with the air quality improvement that is possible through using low-VOC drywall. When such a product is added to a building, the VOCs will be reduced and the air quality will be better for everyone inside. Indoor air quality is something that tends to be overlooked but can have a major impact on health and well-being.
The Right Way to Remove Drywall
When drywall is finished with its functional life, it is too often just tossed out in a dumpster and hauled away to have a negative environmental impact. This is another place where sustainability can enter the picture. Through drywall recycling programs, the materials can find a new lease on life and the landfill will be a little less crowded as a result.
Seeking an Important Certification
It’s one thing for a company to state that they are doing things in an eco-friendly manner. While it’s nice to think that all businesses could be trusted when making that statement, you never quite know where the truth may lie. Toward that end, you can look to the LEED certification in drywall to determine what is really being done to protect the environment. When drywall products that are LEED certified are used, for example, you can trust that steps have actually been taken to do the right thing.
Conclusion
It’s never too soon to pay attention to the environmental impact of construction. For projects from big to small, considering sustainable building trends is a great way to do right by the environment, impress customers and clients, and even save money along the way.
Working with a proven drywall contractor like Robey Inc. is the best way to make sure you are getting the results you deserve on every project. From the ability to implement green building practices to the assurance that the job will be done right the first time, every time, you’ll love your experience with Robey. Take a moment today to get in touch and get started on your next project.
