5 Reasons why being a ‘Green Company’ is Beneficial to the Construction Industry

13 May 2015

Gone are the days of green building being a niche market. These days, sustainability in construction has evolved into more than just a passing trend with the strain on our environment becoming more evident. Driven by society, culture and economics it’s now become obvious that it’s up to us to shape a sustainable future.

As Australia continues to boom in the green construction industry, many companies have taken on the challenge to become ‘green’. Through the use of viable building practices, resource efficient designs and planning processes, these companies throughout the industry are already seeing the cost saving and healthier practices. Here’s a few reasons why building green can benefit the construction industry and why you should always go with the ‘green’ company.

1. The ‘Green Star’ Project Endorsement

Launched by the Green Building Council (GBC) in 2003, Green Star projects offer an internationally recognised sustainability rating with the highest tick of green-friendly approval. Companies that are involved with a Green Star project become recognised industry providers and gain the credits attached to the specific project.

To get the Green Star of approval, the construction project needs to be certified for both sustainable design and construction using the rating tools put together by GBC. Green Star projects, on average, will produce 62% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than average Australian builders, 50% less electricity and 51% less portable water. These projects – depending on the level of star rating, will generate less construction demolition waste and achieve an encouraging environmental outcome with the amount of waste being sent to landfill.

Some recent example of Green Star projects we have been involved in at Instant Waste Management include the Brookfield Tower, the Mills Park Gosnells project and Civic Centre. These projects range from 4-6 Green Star rating and recognise the importance of being with green with construction and waste management through the use of commercial skips.

2. Sustainable Building and Business Practices

The benefits of going green though, are much broader than achieving a Green Star rating. As more construction companies start to recognise the importance of implementing such practise, they have gained favour of like-minded consumers that support the industry developments.

With these sustainable building and business practices in place, a healthier workplace is promoted, cost savings are improved and consumer demands are heightened as more people crave greener products and services. Because the green construction industry is still developing, companies that do implement its practices need to assure they’re compliant with the latest policies.

3. Green Waste Management via Commercial Skip Bins

To support the sustainable building practices and be endorsed for Green Star ratings, green waste management is encouraged through the use of commercial skip bins. By pushing for proper waste disposal on construction sites, toxic risks are reduced and hygienic waste solutions are put in place that are environmentally conscious.

For each construction project, tailored waste plans are initiated to manage the site’s demolition and waste removal using the latest cutting-edge green technologies. At IWM we manufacture 10 skips a day to be used on job sites. You can read more about the practical advantages of bin hire for commercial use here.

4. A Sustainably Built Future

The building industry is responsible for approximately 55% of landfill waste in Western Australia. As much as 80-90% of this waste could be diverted and reused in useful applications. This not only reduces the extent of landfills, but can also lead to less raw material extraction for the next projects in the process.

We spoke to Kate Meyer of Custom Green, a sustainable home designer & sustainable home builder and asked why going Green is so important for our future.

“Custom Green believes that sustainability is critical in everything we do. A sustainable home offers all the same benefits as a standard home, often with improved indoor comfort and air-quality, and greatly reduced environmental impacts, all for a similar cost as a standard home. We believe that it is up to building professionals such as ourselves to educate Perth and WA so that building green homes become the norm. We have seen a gap in the market for homes that achieve sustainability through design rather than through material selection or green add-ons. We started Custom Green to address this gap and show that you can build an eco-home using a wide range of materials, for an endless variety of house types, within a “standard home” budget.”

5. It Shows You Care

The demand for energy and resource efficiency in building is now evidently there and consequently, it’s important that both companies and consumers recognise the benefits of building green. As the green building movement strengthens; the social, economic and environmental perks have been firmly secured, building a much more positive ‘big picture’ for the future.

Being a ‘green’ company isn’t just beneficial to the construction industry – it shows that you and your organisation care. Whether your involvement is within the company itself or choosing to partner with a green business or green waste management company from a consumer perspective, the impact on the industry is significant.

The push for green building schemes have (and will) become more mainstream as time goes on. To make it an industry movement though, ‘green’ should become a standard practice to deliver high-quality, sustainable standards across all parts of construction and green waste management.

For more information about green building and waste management, please speak to one of our friendly industry professionals today.