OVERVIEW
Is wood a sustainable material? It depends: a table made from reclaimed wood has a much smaller environmental footprint than one sourced from a monoculture plantation that replaced a rainforest.
Defining responsible material sourcing—and then finding responsibly sourced products—is complicated. Here you will find in-depth resources that detail the benefits and challenges of using biobased materials, reclaimed wood, fly ash, and other materials. Our resources also detail which companies and industries are ahead of the curve in offering responsible choices.
What about the materials you don’t use? Using less is always a good idea—as long as that doesn’t compromise performance.
Doing more with less takes knowledge and attention: it’s about investing in human resources instead of wasting natural resources. And since our small planet has more humans every day, we’re not likely to run out of them anytime soon. Durability, efficient structural systems, and repairing and retrofitting rather than replacing are all key strategies to consider.
IN-DEPTH
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Three-in-One Insulating Sheathing from Dow
Product Review
A new polyisocyanurate sheathing from Dow uses recycled content and provides structural shear bracing, wraparound insulation, and a water-resistant barrier in one product.
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Decorative Ceiling Panel Uses Recycled Content
Product Review
Chicago Metallic has introduced Monarch GE, a decorative ceiling panel system using gypsum and 70% recycled content from glass.
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Canadian Multifamily Project Earns LEED Platinum
News Brief
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Migrations Biobased Tile from Armstrong
Product Review
A new biobased composition tile from Armstrong offers a more attractive alternative to popular vinyl composition tile.
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Agrifiber-Plastic Composite Privacy Fencing Introduced
Product Review
Heartland Biocomposites combines wheat straw with post-consumer high-density polyethylene to create its durable, insect-resistant PrairieFence line.
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BEES 4.0 LCA Software Continues Evolution
News Brief
Life-cycle assessment tool BEES 4.0 offers a larger data set and other improvements over previous versions.
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Green E-Board Building Panels
Product Review
With the durability of cement backerboards but with a carbon footprint closer to gypsum, Green E-Board panels are an intriguing new drywall option.
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Recycled-EPS Interior Molding
Product Review
Recyled polystyrene molding from Timbron International is waterproof, mold-resistant, paintable, and workable.
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180 Walls Sets New Standard for Green Wallcovering
Product Review
A woven polyester wallcovering from Milliken, 180 Walls is cost-competitive with vinyl wallcoverings and offers a number of environmental benefits that are backed up by third-party certifications.
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Yale Team Hired to Support USGBC's Biobased Materials Deliberations
News Brief