What's the problem with building materials? Are eco-friendly building materials really needed - aren't the materials used today good enough? What does eco-friendly building materials even mean? Why can't I just go to the hardware store? Is it really that big of a deal? Isn't it more expensive?
If you are asking yourself these questions, and why you should care, you've found the right place.
Our four-part series will introduce Go Green Home Supply, along with the challenges facing the construction and building materials industry. We're here to help clarify many of these questions and the misconceptions that go along with "going green".
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Go Green Home Supply is a retail website dedicated to supplying natural and sustainable building materials to homeowners looking to build or renovate their homes, with the purpose of making their homes healthier and better for the environment.
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As a global society, we are facing many problems right now. Many social and political issues are pulling at us for our attention. It's difficult for people to focus on every issue. What's even more challenging is when a complex problem has a tendency to take a back seat to some of the others even though it may be one of the most urgent issues to solve.
One such complex issue is global pollution.
Material waste (including building material waste) created by humans is one of the most serious issues facing our planet. Chemicals leaching from many products thrown into landfills are penetrating into ground water (drinking) supplies. Micro-plastics are being found in human digestive tracts. Landfills are filling faster than ever as the global population continues to rise. Human health is being harmed by non-natural products and waste. Eco-systems are being destroyed.
Yet, this issue is still often faced with ignorance and disregard - often viewed as "someone else's problem," or glossed over by saying, "I do my part by recycling." There is still much apathy toward the topic.
That is reflected by looking at statistics measuring recycling's effectiveness. Even though the recycling movement was spawned in the 1970's, and has had 50 years to develop and implement programs and to educate people, less than 10% of any eligible recyclable materials ever end up being repurposed.
The fact is, people and companies don't focus on recycling - it's too expensive or too inconvenient.
The mentality of "more," "bigger," and "cheaper" have led to the production of disposable, unnatural materials which pose the greatest risk. Materials are often produced and discarded without any regard for their effects on the planet or people's health. When they reach the end of their useful life, off to the landfill they go for... forever.
People have become somewhat more aware of these challenges in recent years by promoting a new catch-phrase - and we hope it catches on.
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Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
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In that order. This is really important. First, reduce the amount of unnatural waste we produce. Reduce what you buy. Reduce what you "need." Reduce what you want.
Second, if we produce it, reuse/repurpose as is.
Then focus on recycling the product (if possible).
This new idea is important because reducing (or eliminating) the amount of unnatural waste where we can is the best way to address the problem of global waste.
Building material waste, being the second largest contributor to global waste (behind only single-use plastics), is a big part of this problem and is why Go Green Home Supply was founded.
Reduction in the amount of non-natural, non-recyclable, non-decomposable building materials being produced and sold is the best way for the construction/renovation industry to lower its waste output. But it won't start with the industry itself. It will have to start with you as a consumer.
Homeowners can have a big impact. Residential consumers who are making decisions with respect to their home's build and renovation materials can make informed decisions, choosing natural, organic, sustainable, or simply more eco-friendly options rather than the "traditional" building materials found in "big-box" stores today. This will reduce the amount of harmful materials used, in favor of more natural ones.
There are a handful of great manufacturers that have been making natural building products for many years, but major players in the industry have chosen to continue to sell and use more "traditional" non-green options.
At what point do we as consumers use our power to only purchase materials/products that are going to help keep us safe and preserve our planet? For many, that time is now. Go Green Home Supply's goal is to make all homeowners aware of how their decisions impact their health and the health of the environment, and provide them with better materials during their home build and renovation projects.
We might not be able to solve all of the world's problems today, but we can try to take a step forward in addressing global waste by starting with better, more natural homes.
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Plan well. Build well. Be well.
