Materials: What’s Sustainable?

Mark Moxley

Native plants are one of the most sustainable choices for the built landscape and are typically where designers will start if they are interested in environmental responsibility. But what about other materials?

How can you ensure that all aspects of the landscapes you install will contribute to environmental sustainability?

Here’s a rough guide to the questions you should consider when thinking about the sustainability of materials.

Guiding principles

• Does the material or product have any known negative effects for humans, animals, or the natural environment (air, ground, or water quality)?
• Is it likely to end up in a landfill because of its poor quality?

How it’s made

• To what degree does the manufacturing process (including raw materials extraction) harm human health or the environment today or for future generations?
• Are the constituent materials made from recycled materials and/or capable of being recycled?
• To what extent were the raw materials locally sourced, that is, within 50/100/250 miles of your installation? If not locally sourced, how far did they travel?

How it’s installed

• Will installation of the materials or products damage the environment either physically or chemically?
• How will these materials and products interact with the environment once in place?
• Will the materials go above and beyond “breaking even?” For example, will your fertility program promote backyard biodiversity? Will the hardscape allow rainwater to stay on-site and infiltrate the water table?

Unfortunately, the answers to all these questions probably won’t be readily available for each and every item. But there are numerous sustainable materials now on the market and awareness among manufacturers and suppliers is such that you can learn a lot by beginning to ask these questions.

About hardscape

These principles can be applied to most, if not all, areas of landscape design. Here are some considerations for hardscapes using the above concepts:

• Patios and driveways constructed from permeable brick pavers can help resolve basement seepage problems and reduce runoff. Other pavers have a high albedo rating to reduce the urban heat island effect. Some of these pavers have recycled content or are produced from readily available local materials by companies with strong environmental policies. Most of them can be crushed and recycled at the end of their useful life. Ask your representatives for details.
• Previously installed hardscape features should be disposed of in the most sustainable way possible. Before you begin demolition, determine how will you reuse or dispose of old hardscape. Some can be reused at other sites.
• Innovations in hardscape materials are ongoing. Some solutions can be achieved quickly while others take years to develop.
  Some sustainable methods have been utilized for decades (or even centuries) while others are still relatively new. Remember that a label claiming to be green does not make it so!

Regardless of the type of material, remember that the principles follow a basic pattern of assessing their impact on the environment and on human health…both now and for future generations. Today, there are many factors to influence your choices as a contractor, and your opportunity to communicate the value of sustainability to your customers has become a key factor in driving success.

Mark Moxley is a partner at Lake Street Supply, a Chicago trade supplier committed to helping you source sustainable solutions. You can reach him at info@lakestreetsupply.com

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