Sachin

Towering structures in urban cities are a common sight. Most of us work in them while others live in these properties. Some say that a city's sign of progress is when popular establishments are put up and the basic needs are within reach. However, a lot of times, these kinds of progress affect our environment.

The use of renewable materials, as well as products that were made with very minimal carbon footprint, were already on the radar of design and construction companies as early as the 1970’s. Then, a few milestones laid the cornerstones of green building environment in the 1990’s. Practices such as reducing exposure to toxic substances by using materials made from eco-friendly resources and unnecessary water and power usage have been popular alternatives for green builders.

Contrary to common building techniques, green building contributes to the wellness of its dwellers and the environment, giving cost-efficient returns to property owners and occupants. This is why more and more companies nowadays lean toward an eco-friendly living

Water and wastewater management

Water is one of the commonly-used resource at home and in both commercial and industrial establishments. Sustainable engineers and architects make sure that plumbing in green structures are efficient and will not waste not a drop of water, regardless if this is clean water from the source or already used by its inhabitants. Some green building environments rely on rain as their main water source, while water treated and delivered by area concessionaires augment the supply of the structure.

On the other hand, wastewater is collected through either desludging of home-installed septic tanks, or through sewer lines connected to a sewage treatment plant near the area. Used water from homes and establishments will then be treated before returning to the environment.

Energy efficiency of fixture and appliances

Looking at the bigger picture, there are more property owners who are tapping the heat of the sun as a sustainable source of power. Solar panels are popular among green builders as these converts the sun's energy to electricity. Green building environments that use fixture and appliances that comply with energy efficiency standards have lesser energy consumption, saving costs in power charges. The utilization of LED light bulbs contributed to this efficiency, as they last longer than fluorescent ones and have longer lifetime. This specific light source is more expensive than regular ones but its lower energy consumption and cost for maintenance will make the spending worth the money.

Proper management of items

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we overlook how many space and waste we consume. From paper to write notes and to-dos, to plastic bags and containers that help organize our things or carry our most basic essentials, we often forget that these take up space and are unnecessary in the long run.

To deal with it, practice the Japanese workplace organization called 5S, which stands for:

1) sorting and disposing unnecessary items
2) set in order things in order to maintain efficiency and safety at home or at work
3) standardize rules to ensure good organization of things
4) shining the area through regular cleaning
5) sustain the discipline to enforce these rules for a harmonious living.

Living in a green environment enables you to have a clean and efficient life while conserving the beauty of the Earth. What better way to do your part in making this world a much better place to live in than being more environmentally responsible?

Written by Kent Murdock, owner of Randy Adams Construction in Columbia, MO. Randy Adams Construction is one of the premiere companies for construction in Columbia, MO.