Did you know?

The widespread use of materials with increased reflectivity can result in localized average air temperature decreases of up to 7.2° F.1

In 1996, construction and development in the U.S. generated almost 136 million tons of building-related waste.  Only 20 to 30 percent of that was recycled.2

Yard and landscape trimmings contribute approximately 32 million tons to the municipal waste stream, about 13 percent of total municipal waste in the nation.3

In 2004 cement production created carbon dioxide emissions equal to emissions from 20 million cars in one year.4

Materials

Materials are natural resources that have been extracted, manufactured and/or processed for human use.  They are a necessary component of almost every project and should be considered when thinking about sustainability. 

Current Material Practices

Excessive material use, due to structural over-design and misperceptions of increased safety, and improper materials management cause needless waste and require more resources, production and transport.  Materials commonly viewed as “waste” can often be reused or recycled to reduce the need for additional resources, as well as reducing landfill volumes.

Selecting materials that require energy-intensive processes contributes significantly to the increasing volumes of greenhouse gas emissions.  Materials that require less energy to produce, such as concrete made with fly ash, or transport, such as materials produced locally, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Materials with low reflectivity, such as asphalt paving and shingles, store heat and are slow to release it. This can increase surface temperatures by as much as 122° F.5 The widespread use of these materials in urban areas results in average air temperatures 3.6° F hotter than rural areas.6  Selecting highly reflective materials can minimize the urban heat island effect.

Examples of Sustainable Materials Practices

Manage resources and materials efficiently.  Consider these strategies in all phases of site assessment, design, construction, operations, maintenance and removal:  reduce material consumption, reuse and recycle materials, use non-recoverable materials for energy generation and minimize waste.

Select materials for durability.  Specify materials that require less frequent maintenance and replacement.

Use local materials.  This reduces the energy consumed during transport and support local economies.  It also aids in designing with a regional look.   

Reduce the urban heat island effect.  Shade constructed surfaces on the site with landscape features such as vegetation.  Consider replacing constructed surfaces such as roofs, roads and sidewalks with vegetated surfaces.


[1] Taha, H., Urban climates and heat islands: albedo, evapotranspiration, and anthropogenic heat. Energy and Buildings, 1997. 25: p. 99-103.
[2] Franklin Associates, Characterization of building-related construction and demolition debris in the United States. 1998: Prairie Village, KS.
[3] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States:  Facts and Figures for 2005, Department of the Interior, Editor. 2006.
[4] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sector Strategies Performance Report. 2006.
[5] Berdahl, P. and S.E. Bretz, Preliminary survey of the solar reflectance of cool roofing materials. Energy and Buildings, 1997. 25: p. 149-158.
[6] Taha, H., Urban climates and heat islands: albedo, evapotranspiration, and anthropogenic heat. Energy and Buildings, 1997. 25: p. 99-103.