If you’re looking for sustainable building materials, you might get a bit lost between all the possibilities out there. Green buildings, natural materials or recyclable or recycled materials… What is the best option if you want to build in a sustainable way?
The question whether it’s better to use natural or recycled material for your building is not an easy one to answer. Both of them have their own benefits, but depending on the material you have in mind, there may also be some disadvantages.
A big plus of recycled materials is that no – or less – virgin materials need to be used. Especially when the raw material required is scarce, using recycled material is highly recommended when you’ve set your mind to using a certain material.
When you are planning on using recycled materials, it’s always good to double check whether the quality of the product is still good enough. Some materials may lose some of their features over the years. It’s also recommended to have a look at safety. One of the issues with recycling – and especially downcycling – is that materials may include chemicals that are not suitable for their new function.
Natural materials, provided that they are from non-depletable sources, can be a very good choice. Still, safety and sustainability are important aspects to look at. A material such as wood, which appears to be very natural at a first glance, is not always environmentally friendly. They are often treated with chemicals such as fire retardants and chemical preservatives which has a negative ecological and environmental impact.
But what if you don’t have to choose between natural, recycled and recyclable? Some materials have it all! Rockpanel facade panels are made from a combination of basalt, a natural volcanic stone that’s non-depletable – and recycled materials, both from our own stone wool products and from other industries. On top of that, they can be fully recycled afterwards.
Every single year, the ROCKWOOL Group continues to progress towards our sustainability goals. Download our Sustainability Report to learn more about our progress, achievements and our new commitments:
Another very important factor in sustainability lies in how long a product will last. Durable products won’t need to be replaced for many decades, which means less energy and materials are required in the long run. And very important: durable products need less maintenance. As maintenance has also environmental and ecological impact, less is better.
Last, but not least, some natural materials such as timber are not firesafe. To become fire safe, fire retardants need to be added. Buildings that are not fir safe are not sustainable, and neither the use of often toxic additives.
Rockpanel provides the information you need to create sustainable buildings. Please find relevant documentation and certificates, including our externally verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) here.
We manufacture board material mostly used in ventilated constructions, for facade cladding, roof detailing, soffits and fascias.
