In the October issue of NEWH magazine (PDF), Dina Belon, a principal with RUSH Hospitality, addresses the issue of justifying the increased cost of green building materials in these tough economic times.  Aside from providing thoughtful statements about the state of the economy related to green building, she gives a thorough list of questions to ask manufacturers about their environmental attributes and certifications.  While manufacturers are much more aware of the environmental impact of their products, the industry must still ask the tough questions regarding environmental attributes.  Not only will this increase knowledge and acceptance, but it will drive continuous improvement and force a decrease in added costs.  Coming out of this downturn should promote an increased sense of responsibility in specifying sustainable building materials.

Green-Tech from Ergon is made of 40% pre-consumer material. For more information click here.

According to the EPA, buildings accounts for: 40% percent of total U.S. energy consumption, 67% percent of total U.S. electricity consumption, 38% of the nation’s total carbon dioxide emissions, 12% of the total water consumed per day, and 60% of the total non-industrial waste generation.  Belon states that “If we ignore the environment for a few years while we deal with the economic hard times, the problems with the environment just become more extreme.” 

With regards to porcelain and engineered stone, the environmental attributes have always been present but the story has never been told.  By nature, porcelain tile is a high performance pre-fabricated product with efficiencies in manufacturing, raw material consumption, application, and maintenance.  Many manufacturers have achieved 3rd party certifications for their environmental claims and have an environmentally responsible corporate culture that adheres to industry standards.  In addition, the life cycle and environmental footprint of porcelain and engineered stone is significantly less when compared to natural stone.       

For more information about the environmental attributes of porcelain and engineered stone products, please log onto our website at ecospectile.com or contact us at 714-808-0134.