Navigating Sustainable Materials

By Ken Wilson AIA, IIDA, LEED AP Principal
(From the NKBA's Profiles Magazine)

When I was a boy, my mother's idea of a healthy breakfast was bacon and eggs, toast with butter, and a glass of whole milk. We think differently today. The American public has become educated as to what healthy food is and is not. We know that eating an apple is healthier than a bag of fries but do we know what building materials are going to be healthier for the environment? Just like selecting healthy food, it's just as important to understand what to avoid and what to select in design.

Today, there are many green material choices that weren't available just a few years ago, and selecting the best one for your project can be confusing. The truth is, there are many equally valid paths toward sustainability. As the design profession becomes more knowledgeable, manufacturers will respond with better products and better information.

In order to select the best green material, consider the total environmental impact over the life of the product. The process of evaluating this is called life cycle assessment, or LCA, and there are a number of established methods, although none have been agreed universally accepted. LCA considers a product's life from beginning to end. What is it made of? Where is it made? How is it made? How much energy is required in its manufacture? How is it installed? How is it maintained? How durable is it? What happens to it at the end of its useful life? ASTM International has developed a very useful questionnaire that can serve as a primer for asking these questions entitled "ASTME2129, Standard Practice for Data Collection for Sustainability Assessment of Building Products."

Just because a product is made from recycled content doesn't necessarily mean it's good and just because a product isn't being recycled doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. It's possible for nylon carpet fiber to be recycled back into new fiber but the existing technologies to do this use significantly more energy than the manufacture of virgin fiber. In this case, full circle recycling may not be the best answer at the present time. Nigel Howard of the U.S. Green Building Council (an expert in LCA) says that in many cases, the environmental impacts from the transport used to collect recyclable material from a dispersed market can be more harmful to the environment than not recycling at all.

The largest single problem facing the environment is climate change. As climate change progresses, environmental problems on a catastrophic scale may very well begin to occur. The release of carbon into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, whether from the gas in your car or coal for electricity, is the major contributor to climate change. Sadly, the United States is the largest contributor to the release of carbon into the atmosphere. For this reason, the place to start asking questions when selecting materials is in the area of energy use. Does the material require large amounts of energy to manufacture, transport, or recycle? Is the manufacturer using any renewable energy?

The total amount of energy required to bring a product to market is referred to as "embodied energy". Many metals, like aluminum, are very high in embodied energy because of the tremendous amount of energy required for their manufacture. On the other hand, aluminum is lightweight compared to other metals, which improves its impact in the area of transportation. Aluminum is easily recyclable and can be done so over and over. Aluminum is also a durable product that is generally used in applications that are meant to last. Products to avoid are those that have both a short life and high embodied energy.

Stay away from materials that contain toxic ingredients or offgas harmful ingredients—especially over an extended period of time. These materials include panel products, such as particleboard and plywood that can contain formaldehyde. Thankfully, there are many alternative panel products on the market today that contain no added formaldehyde. Standard coatings and adhesives release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can harm people and the atmosphere when they're applied. Options are now available that have no or very low VOC ratings. In fact, every major paint manufacturer sells a line of paint rated for zero VOCs. Adhesives are also making steady improvement. Make sure you specify the lowest VOC adhesive recommended for the material you're installing.

Products made from rapidly renewable materials are a good choice for the simple reason that their sources are easily replenished in a relatively short period of time. These include strawboard, bamboo, and cork. When using wood products, look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. The FSC is an international organization that certifies wood products for both environmental and social responsibility in a chain of custody system that extends from the forest to the retailer. FSC-certified wood products include solid wood, veneers, plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, and even furniture. Many large construction material retailers, such as Home Depot, are now carrying FSC products.

Something I look for in selecting materials is a sense that the manufacturer has made a commitment to improving the environment—not only in their corporate statements, but also in their actions. Does the manufacturer have any sense of environmental thinking or did they simply buy an expensive green ad campaign? We should accept that the shift to a more environmental stance doesn't happen overnight, but companies should be asked the tough questions. What is your commitment to change? What sustainable strategies are you currently using? How are you educating your staff?

We're in a period of transition from a culture of environmental nescience to environmental awareness. Good design can no longer include the use of materials that are harmful to the environment. It will take time for manufacturers and the general public to get on board with this trend. As designers, we want to think of ourselves as being on the leading edge of new thinking. The opportunity is here. We have to take advantage of it.

Ken Wilson is the founder of Envision, a design firm with a focus on sustainability and smart design. In 2005, Ken was named "Designer of the Year" by Contract magazine and was listed in Metropolitan Home magazine's prestigious "Design 100." A former K/BIS speaker, Ken has also received awards for his work in promoting environmentally responsible design. Envision was ranked sixth on a list by Interiors & Sources magazine as one of the country's "Top 25 Environmental Champions" and Ken's work has been published in numerous national design journals, including Metropolis, Interior Design, and Residential Architect, among many others..