It’s safe to say that climate change is one of the biggest threats mankind has ever faced. We are aware this might sound a bit dramatic, but it’s true. This is why most corporations, companies, and small businesses are trying their best to be more environmentally conscious.
The case is the same with commercial and residential construction companies. These businesses have been under a lot of scrutiny because their construction sites are considered to be one of the biggest polluters in the world. However, a lot of construction companies don’t want to change their way of doing things simply because being eco-friendly costs more money. To be completely honest, being green costs a bit more, but it’s the responsible thing to do. So, for everyone who wants to have a more sustainable construction site, here are the 5 effective ways to organize it that way.
Make Sure You Use the Right Equipment
It doesn’t matter if you’re constructing a commercial building or a house, if you want to preserve the environment, you have to use eco-friendly equipment. This means you can’t work with machines that use diesel because this fuel is extremely bad for the environment. We realize that finding proper equipment that’s also good for the habitat is not a simple task, however, there are some companies that sell and rent this type of construction equipment. If you live in Australia, you can find a trusted company for crane hire in Melbourne. This low-pollution machinery is also very easy to use, which will make your job simpler and more enjoyable.
Use Only Recycled and Eco-Friendly Materials
Most people usually don’t use recycled materials for their home simply because if the material isn’t brand new, they think it’s not good enough. However, using new material is a bad thing because that means a lot of excess material from other construction sites will only become waste that will pollute the environment. Instead, all of that excess wood and other materials can be recycled and reused on a different building or a home. So, if you want your construction site to be green, make sure to use only recycled materials. Also, you should try your best to avoid materials like plastic and styrofoam. This way you will preserve nature by reducing the waste and your carbon footprint. By doing this, you will set a wonderful example to other commercial and residential building companies.
Manage Your Waste Responsibly
Construction companies use a lot of material for their buildings, however, a lot of it ends up being unused. This excess material usually becomes waste which then pollutes the environment. This is rather unfortunate because all of this wood, steel, and plastic can be recycled and used as a material on another construction site. However, if you don’t want to leave a lot of waste after you finish your job, make sure to have a good and responsible waste management policy. The old-fashioned linear approach “make, use, dispose” doesn’t work anymore, which means you have to find a way to recycle all the material that ends up being unused.
Make Your Transportation Economic and Efficient
One of the biggest reasons why construction sites are such big polluters is the fact that material has to be transported to the construction site from many different locations. Most companies use trucks that consume a lot of fuel which is not good because it contributes to the carbon dioxide emission. Therefore, if you want to have an eco-friendly construction site, you should definitely consider making your transportation more economical and efficient. You can do this by using high-quality fuel, purchasing your materials locally, and by having on-site suppliers. The last two will reduce the number of journeys to and from the construction site, which will drastically reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. This is one of the best ways to be more efficient and preserve the environment.
Make Sure Your Crew Uses Reusable Mugs, Bottles, And Food Containers On the Site
This might sound silly and trivial at first, but you should know that most of the garbage on construction sites is from plastic coffee mugs, water bottles, and single-use food containers. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because a big crew that spends a lot of time on a site simply has to eat and drink in order to get the job done. So, if you don’t want to leave a lot of garbage and waste on your construction site, you should invest in reusable coffee mugs, water bottles, and food containers.
These things really do make a difference, so if you want to be responsible and have an eco-friendly construction site, make sure to apply some of these tips on your next job.