There’s no denying that the construction industry as a whole is not particularly eco-friendly. In fact, the industry is thought to be responsible for a significant percentage of energy usage worldwide, as well as landfill waste, environmental pollution, and the disruption of natural territories. Fortunately, the outlook doesn’t necessarily have to be so negative. The environmental impact of construction can be notably reduced with only a few smart decisions and mindful processes, and here are just some of the efficient ways you could make your building sites more sustainable as well:
Reducing noise pollution
While noise pollution might be an easily overlooked aspect of construction, it is quite an important factor that not only disturbs the people living and working near the building site, but potentially the fauna in the area as well. Fortunately, noise pollution can effortlessly be controlled, as long as you implement a few conscious practices.
For instance, you could use quieter machinery, and aim to only work during the reasonable, predetermined hours in an effort not to disturb the local area, particularly if the site is situated in a residential neighborhood. To raise awareness of this issue, it might also be a good idea to send letters to nearby residential properties and businesses warning them of potential noise and explaining the effects of noise pollution.
Hiring skilled professionals
One of the simplest ways to promote sustainability during construction is to only work with professionals with plenty of knowledge and experience in the field. Whether you plan on doing roadworks or building a new industrial area, hiring expert civil construction services will help to ensure a successful project.
Apart from aiming to deliver projects on time and under budget, such professionals will also provide a streamlined workflow that only includes the best, safest, and most efficient practices. What’s more, civil contractors who care about their environmental impact will also make efforts to minimize their carbon footprint, manage on-site spills, erosion, and sediment more efficiently, and comply with relevant laws and regulations, thus allowing you to encourage more sustainable practices on any construction site.
Disposing of waste properly
Unfortunately, the construction industry is among the top global polluters in terms of the amount of waste produced, with the highest percentage stemming from demolitions. And even though a certain amount of waste is entirely expected and sometimes completely unavoidable in construction, there are still effective ways this could be reduced in order to promote sustainability.
For example, you could attempt to use only eco-friendly building materials or even salvage waste materials in an effort to use them in upcoming projects. Similarly, you could provide separate bins and prioritize recycling, offer solutions like physical barriers to prevent spills and minimize dust, or use waste tracking software to find more sustainable waste managing methods, all of which will allow you to reduce the degree of waste created on construction sites.
Limiting fuel consumption
Motorized heavy machinery is necessary for bringing greater accuracy and efficiency to building sites across the world. But although it has a number of advantages for construction sites and companies, such machinery is also incredibly damaging to the environment, mostly due to the fossil fuels and exhaust gasses that contribute to pollution.
To promote sustainability on building sites, aim to minimize fuel consumption by reducing haul distances and vehicle idling times whenever possible. Greener fuel alternatives are also available, as well as electrical and hybrid machines that could limit, if not entirely eliminate the amount of CO2 emitted, along with helping to further reduce noise pollution.
Evidently, there are a number of different ways you could minimize the negative environmental impact during construction projects. Simply by reducing pollution, handling waste responsibly, and working with experienced professionals, you can make a positive change for the planet.
