Environmental impact and global warming has been the top of discussion and efforts for years now. It is incredibly sad to learn what damage we as humans have done to the environment and earth. Pollution, littering, wasting of food, water, paper and electricity, air travel and car travel, toxic chemicals and plain ignorance are the driving causes that have led us to where we are today.
The great thing about nature is that it has the power to rebuild and restore, well most of it.
Another great thing is, even though we as mankind have created this damage to the earth, we still have an opportunity to make a difference. A simple place to start would be in our own homes, places of work and teaching our kids good habits.
Here at The Pod we too want to be aware of waste and use materials that are sustainable and aware of the environment as much as possible, it is not easy but we can start somewhere.
We have put together some sustainable building materials that we hope inspires you to build more sustainably and some of these we hope to incorporate in the future too.
Bamboo
Experts all over the world claim that bamboo is an excellent eco-friendly material to build with. It has crazy self-generation so some of its species can grow really tall in just one day. Bamboo is a type of grass and not a wood, which is what most people think. It spreads and grows and never needs to be replanted. It can be found all over the world except for Europe and Antarctica. Commonly used for cabinetry and flooring.
Recycled wood and metal
Recycled metal is a long lasting material that won’t need to be replaced often. It does not burn or warp making it a great option for structural supports, roofing and facades.
A bonus is that it is water and pest resistant. Reusing and reclaiming wood reduces its embodied energy similar to the metal. Used for flooring, cabinetry and framing however it would need some maintenance as it attracts insects and degradation.
Sheep’s wool insulation
Common uses for insulation is fiberglass or polyurethane spray foam, with sheeps wool it is all natural. We’re always looking for alternative materials and wanting to replace synthetic with natural. This material does not degrade as quickly as others and it is pretty easy to harvest. A con of using sheep’s wool is that it is not cheap, people source them because of how sustainable it is.