When you buy something, you are buying the entire life cycle of a product or service– the good, the bad, and the ugly. By stepping up, we give companies the reason to become sustainable. Did you know that in the US, buildings account for over 40% of total energy consumption, 13% of total water consumption, and produce 39% of total carbon dioxide emissions. It is obvious that something has to change.
The new shop you see by your house may look the same as everything else. However, its tile, wall coverings, and even crown moulding are most likely made from recyclable materials. In the bathrooms, sensors control the water, timers manage the lights, and the toilets have a low flow option. You may even see LED lighting, priority parking for low emission vehicles, highly efficient meat and freezer cases, a bin for plastic bags, and environmentally friendly flooring (like bamboo!). In Chicago (and in the surrounding suburbs), we are already seeing this in businesses such as Starbucks, Dominick’s, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, Subway, and Jason’s Deli.
There are a variety of factors that have contributed to this increase in using green products. Chicago has streamlined the process of getting green permits (for things like a “cool” roof for example). The economy is finally taking off a bit too, so some businesses have more money to spend. Businesses are also realizing that there are great backend savings involved with spending more money upfront to build and/or remodel with energy efficiency in mind! Green buildings cost less to operate and maintain. They also have higher asset values than conventional buildings. By including items free of toxic chemicals (like bamboo soap), taking advantage of natural light, and using superior ventilation systems, employees will be healthier and more productive (and use less sick time!). Green buildings also use 25%-30% less water and energy than conventional buildings.
Lastly, these changes are being demanded by the consumer. The US Green Building Council even offers LEED green building certification, so businesses can show the consumer that they are making changes to make their buildings high performance green buildings. In the past ten years, LEED has certified more than 13,500 green homes and commercial buildings with over 60,000 waiting. With technology catching up with consumer wants and needs, it is becoming more affordable to go green.
And going green is putting money into pockets of workers as well as businesses. According to a study done by Booz Allen Hamilton and the US Green Building Council, the green construction market will add 8 million jobs and $396 billion in wages to the US economy over the next four years, so this looks to be a trend that will take hold in places beyond Chicago. One day, green will simply be the way that everyone does business.
What businesses in your area are making these changes? Do you frequent them more because they are green (or trying to be greener)? What changes would you like to see done?
And for more news on bamboo and its increasingly popular role in environmental design, visit the Green Earth News’ section on Bamboo & The Environment.
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Hi its me one more time basically , said that I would pop back again and learn just how the topic seemed to be going.
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