How Recycled Materials Help Environmental Sustainability 

At Sordan Construction, we embrace using sustainable technologies and materials to create high-quality home improvements and remodels. Each of our projects is a unique blend of design, colors, materials, and personality.  

We are especially proud of our use of environmentally friendly and recycled materials, we encourage our clients to incorporate them into their projects as much as possible. 

What Materials Allow for Environmental Sustainability? 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are many materials, including recycled materials that can be used for environmental sustainability. “Asphalt, concrete, and rubble are often recycled into aggregate or new asphalt and concrete products. Wood can be recycled into engineered wood products like furniture, as well as mulch, compost, and other products. Metals, including steel, copper, and brass are also valuable commodities to recycle.”

One of the most recycled materials in the world is steel due to its ability to be repurposed without degrading its properties. 

Some examples of components that can be reused or recycled for other home improvement projects include doors, hardware, appliances, and fixtures. These can be salvaged for donation or use during the rebuild or on other jobs. 

Additionally, excess insulation from exterior walls can be used in interior walls as noise-deadening material. Scrap wood can be chipped on site and used as mulch or groundcover. The list can go on and on.

A popular option that many homeowners are embracing is using reclaimed wood to build items like fireplace mantels, accent walls, kitchen cabinets and islands, as well as stair railings and banisters. 

What Are the Benefits of Recycling Materials? 

Our planet is at a crossroads. We are looking at a climate crisis and a resource crisis. Doing small and large things to reduce our dependence on these resources and conserve them is a big part of what we do. 

Here are a few of the benefits of using reclaimed and recycled materials in your next remodel project. 

• The cost of building materials has skyrocketed in recent years. Using recycled and reclaimed wood can reduce your overall cost and allow for an easier way to access all the materials and resources needed for your build. 
• Recycled materials conserve our limited natural resources and materials. 
• Using recycled or reclaimed materials prevents pollution. It reduces the pollution caused by the transportation, collection, and treatment of new materials in manufacturing warehouses. 
• Recycled materials and resources slow the build-up of landfills. The less that gets discarded, the slower our landfills will reach capacity. 
• Recycling activities create jobs for our economy as it is labor intensive. 
• Salvaging and using recycled materials is financially beneficial to builders and their clients looking to follow a budget for their remodel. 
• Recycling materials allows for the preservation of the local architectural character and historic significance (in cases of preserved or restored buildings).

For more information about environmentally sustainable techniques and materials talk to our team about your vision and we can make it happen.