Thursday, October 25, 2012

Sustainable Business and Green Building Projects


In an effort to protect the environment, many companies have begun developing sustainable business practices.  By implementing green and sustainable practices, many have found that they can make choices that help the planet as well as their profits. Sustainable business is a relatively new concept for many companies, but it has grown in popularity and use over the past decade and considerable advances are expected for the future.

 

Sustainable business requirements

Not just any company that chooses to recycle is meeting sustainable business standards. There are certain requirements that must be met in order for a company to be considered part of the green business world.  These include:
  • The business must be considered more environmentally friendly than traditional businesses
  • Sustainability is at the forefront of business decision making
  • An observable commitment to green practices has been implemented across the board
  • Services and products offered from the business are environmentally friendly or meet the public demand for sustainable products.
Because green practices, standards, and demands are always changing, it is important for businesses that employ efforts to stay green to keep up with changing technology.

One area that has been growing even more than others is green building and construction. In many instances, by creating homes, offices, and public buildings that are environmentally friendly, the costs of operating said buildings can be extremely low, and many companies are moving to this form of building.

 

Green building standards

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is the government organization in charge of overseeing the green design and function of buildings across America. By constructing buildings with efficient and supportive designs, the USGBC believes that they can help minimize the energy crisis and create jobs.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) concept has changed several aspects of the way green construction and sustainable business practices are run. This international standard is offered as a reward to the building owners who operate their companies within certain standards of excellence in this field. With LEED in mind, many property owners are able to implement sustainable business practices, green construction, efficient building design, and maintain daily operations in an environmentally friendly manner.

Similarly, the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD) is available to help improve environmental awareness within industry, government projects, and business ventures. This non-profit organization is part of a worldwide group of councils that are partnered with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.  These organizations work across the globe to promote sustainable business initiatives on a worldwide scale, but their impact can be felt locally.

(Read More)

(Excerpt of article by the Triple Pundit. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO)


Traditionally, building practices have focused on large scale, low cost production with little regard as to how this could be maintained in the future. This lead to many natural resources becoming strained due to over use and mismanagement. In an era of rising populations and demand for the buildings and structures to support it there becomes the need for not only more efficient building practices but also materials sustainable enough to provide a long term solution. With a maturity rate of 6-8 years (versus 25-50 with timber) Bamboo is just the resource the industry has been searching for. Bamboo is a remarkably strong plant that is not only able to rapidly replenish but also regrows without planting, saving an enormous cost associated with timber in terms of capital and energy.

Additionally, incorporating Lamboo (LVB) laminated veneer bamboo into projects can earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification under MR Credit 6 – Rapidly renewable materials, IEQ Credit 4.4 – Low-emitting materials; ID Credit 1 – Innovation in Design (Environmentally Preferable Material), and ID Credit 2 – Innovation in Design (Life Cycle Assessment / Environmental Impact).

*Please refer to USGBC for information regarding project requirements

For more information about the advantages of Bamboo please visit our sustainability page.


  For questions regarding Lamboo, our products, or to schedule an interview please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us 866-966-2999

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated
 
Blog by: Dustin Dennison

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