Happy Earth Day, construction workers!

Today, April 22, is the much-celebrated annual holiday known as Earth Day. As an industry, we should strive to make construction more efficient and eco-friendlier. What choices can we make across all parts of the industry that fill our need for infrastructure while keeping an eye on the future and protecting our world at the same time?

Start with Your Equipment
New technology and equipment investments can help improve the ROI on a project. Technology, which might feel scary at first, helps contractors get jobs done faster, reducing fuel consumption and allows contractors to move on to more jobs faster. Not to mention the carbon emission being saved by completing jobs faster and more efficiently.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
Seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? However, many construction companies do not recycle materials on their jobsites. Estimates show that if all concrete and asphalt pavement generated annual in the U.S. were recycled, the energy equivalent of 1 billion gallons of gasoline, or 1 the removal of 1 million cars from the road, would be saved.

It’s not just good for the environment. Recycling can have economic benefits for your business, too! Some recyclers charge less to accept materials that can be recucled, especially if they are separated from other materials. Recycling or using material onsite can also reduce material hauling and disposal costs.

Research and Try New Materials
The industry also needs to look to more sustainable building materials to help preserve finite resources. For example, asphalt pavements are the number one recycled material in the U.S., using reclaimed asphalt pavement materials from old roads and parking lots and recycled asphalt roofing shingles. These reused materials are used in new asphalt pavement mixtures.

Other sustainable materials making waves inside the industry are composite roofing shingles, smart glass windows, bamboo floors, insulated concrete framing, solar panels, and eco-friendly hemp-based insulation.

Get to Know Green Rating Systems
If your company isn’t familiar with rating systems like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Envision: Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, Green Globes, Greenroads, Greenlites, etc., this is your sign to get to know them.

Learning about these programs can help put your company ahead of the competition.

Let’s work together toward a greener, healthier planet, and make everyday Earth Day.