Green procurement is increasingly dominating the construction industry’s conversation because it encompasses a lot of different factors that are vital to the sector, including specification and construction costs, maintenance, life-cycle issues, asset values and everything in between.
As the industry comes to terms with the new environmental trend it’s finding that often the advantages of green products in the long and short term far outperform their less efficient, more harmful competition.
One particular boon of going green is that it’s a great way to maintain asset values. Recent studies have shown that much of the asset value premium connected to green buildings revolves around productivity increases and the healthiness of the site.
By not fully considering product selection, cleaning, maintenance, refurbishment and replacement, facilities managers could inadvertently harm the building’s green credentials and consequently damage its value.
The best way to understand the environmental and practical realities of green products is to get in touch with the manufacturer, as there could be a many factors alongside the products formulation that might affect your choice, such as:
- Life span – If the product has a short life span then you’ll have to repair or refurbish, creating extra environmental and financial costs later on.
- Transportation – Ask how the product is packaged and transported. If cleverly done this can further minimise a construction site’s carbon footprint.
- Efficiency – This is especially important for building elements such as insulation and heating. Find out how efficient the product is compared to traditional materials to see if you can lower the amount of energy required.
Eco Accreditations
Respected Green standards and awards mean specification professionals can trust the quality and eco-credentials of a product. This includes the globally recognised Singapore Green Label Scheme, which evaluates building materials and encourages manufacturers to improve their green development.
Flowcrete’s innovative traffic deck coating systems Deckshield ID and Deckcoat EP have recently been given the Singapore Green Label Scheme’s stamp of approval thanks to their low volatile organic compounds (VOCs), solvent-free formulation. VOCs can be a particularly difficult issue, as when significant quantities are emitted into an area it can cause serious long term health issues.
As well as VOCs another common construction ingredient to be wary of is Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), as its manufacture produces large quantities of CO². Removing OPC was a key aspect of the green makeover we gave our Isocrete Green Screeds range, which Kevin McCloud recently recognised for its environmental friendliness by nominating them as one of his Green Heroes.
Another useful standard to look out for are the products used in projects given Excellent Rated status by BREEAM, an assessment method which ranks the environmental performance of buildings around the world.
If you’d like to find out more about making sure a building’s floor build-up adds to a location’s green value then have a chat with one of our technical advisors, or you can read all about the GREEN Floorzone solution by clicking here.
