10 TYPES OF SUSTAINABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY BUILDING MATERIALS

Sustainable materials are those that do not harm the environment throughout their entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction, production, construction, to dismantling and post-use disposal. The trend of using sustainable materials is becoming increasingly popular, helping to protect human health and minimize negative impacts on the environment. Modern technology has developed many types of sustainable materials such as engineered wood, recycled bricks, recycled steel, bamboo, hemp concrete, mycotoxin materials, and many others to meet the diverse construction needs of customers.

In this article, let's explore with An Cuong 10 of the most popular sustainable building materials today, from engineered wood and recycled steel to groundbreaking materials like mushroom fiber and compressed cork. Through analyzing the advantages, applications, and development potential of each material, you will gain the necessary knowledge to choose the right materials for your construction project.

What are sustainable materials?

Sustainable or green materials are materials that do not harm the environment during production, construction, application, and dismantling. These materials are extracted or produced in a way that respects the ecosystem, utilizes renewable or recycled resources, and are capable of natural decomposition or reuse after the end of their life cycle.

The current trend of using sustainable materials is rapidly increasing globally due to environmental awareness and stringent green building standards. Numerous international green certifications such as LEED, BREEAM, and LOTUS encourage the use of low-carbon materials and efficient resource recycling, driving the development and widespread application of environmentally friendly construction solutions.

Top 10 trending sustainable materials

10 sustainable materials currently favored by many architects include engineered wood, recycled brick, recycled steel, bamboo, hemp concrete, mycotoxins, composite cement, recycled plastic, terrazzo, and cork. Let's explore the characteristics of each material below.

Wood based panel

Wood-based panel (Engineered wood) is a material made from wood fibers, wood chips, or natural wood scraps combined with specialized adhesives through a high-pressure and heat pressing process. Engineered wood comes in various types such as MDF, HDF, particleboard, and plywood. Each type has its own characteristics suitable for different uses. 

Engineered wood is environmentally friendly because it uses raw materials from wood waste, wood chips, and short-cycle crops instead of harvesting natural wood, thereby minimizing deforestation and protecting the ecosystem. Modern production processes also optimize resource use and reduce the amount of waste released into the environment.

Engineered wood has become a leading sustainable material today thanks to its perfect combination of economic efficiency, aesthetics, and environmental protection. With a wide variety of designs, flexible processing capabilities, and reasonable costs, engineered wood meets the growing demands of the furniture and construction markets.

Recycled bricks

Recycled bricks are building materials produced from industrial waste or by-products such as fly ash from thermal power plants, coconut husks, loofah fibers, recycled plastics like PET bottles, aluminum cans, etc. Through a special processing procedure, these waste materials are transformed into building bricks that meet technical standards.

Recycled bricks are environmentally friendly because they help reduce waste and maximize resource utilization. The production process does not require high temperatures like traditional bricks, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The use of fly ash from thermal power plants helps address industrial waste, transforming by-products into valuable products.

Reusable bricks are becoming increasingly popular due to their mechanical strength, which is comparable to traditional bricks. Bio-bricks made from coconut husks offer good thermal and sound insulation, making them suitable for energy-efficient buildings. Recycled bricks made from PET plastic are waterproof and corrosion-resistant, making them ideal for outdoor construction or wet areas.

Recycled steel

Recycled steel is a material produced by reusing old steel from demolished buildings, industrial scrap, and expired steel products, significantly reducing the need for natural mining. The steel recycling process consumes 75% less energy than producing steel from raw iron ore, while also reducing the amount of pollutants released during mining and production.

Recycled steel is becoming a prominent material in the construction industry because it can be recycled multiple times without losing its original strength and durability. This creates a closed-loop cycle in resource utilization. In addition, using recycled steel significantly saves production time because the raw steel material has already undergone preliminary processing, requiring only melting and reshaping.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a highly sustainable traditional material due to its extremely rapid growth rate, allowing it to be harvested in 3-5 years compared to decades for traditional timber. Bamboo has a higher CO₂ absorption capacity than conventional timber and regenerates strongly after being cut down without needing to be replanted. The bamboo root system also helps prevent soil erosion and improve soil quality.

Modern green architecture prioritizes the use of bamboo due to its lightweight yet highly durable properties and ease of shaping into various forms. Bamboo can be used to construct unique and sturdy structures in modern architecture, or as a raw material for producing bamboo plywood with high durability and aesthetic appeal. Its natural moisture resistance and antibacterial properties also increase its value in interior design.

Hempcrete

Hemp concrete, or hemp lime, is a building material produced in block form from a mixture of hemp fibers and lime. It is considered a carbon-negative material because it absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits during production. Hemp fibers function similarly to wood but grow faster and are easily renewable.

The sustainable construction industry values ​​hemp concrete for its lightweight and design flexibility, as well as its good thermal insulation properties. This indirectly reduces the need for energy to heat or cool the environment, contributing to energy savings and lower building operating costs.

Mushroom mycelium

Mycelium has been explored and developed as a potential sustainable building material in recent years. Produced from mycelium, which resembles the roots of mushrooms, it is environmentally friendly due to its organic properties and complete natural biodegradability, leaving no negative impact on the environment after its lifespan.

Mycorrhizal fibers are ushering in a new era for materials with their thermal insulation properties and non-toxicity. Additionally, mycorrhizal fibers are lightweight and possess natural fire and water resistance. Currently, they are used in several industries including packaging and manufacturing, with the potential for expanded applications in construction.

Composite cement

Composite cement is a new technological material produced from materials grown from seaweed, stemming from the properties of certain types of seaweed that can create a material similar to natural cement. Composite cement is environmentally friendly because the seaweed-based production process has low carbon emissions and utilizes renewable resources from the ocean.

Modern research places high hopes on composite cements, which possess similar properties to traditional cement but with significantly lower environmental impact. Currently, this is still in the testing phase and not yet widely used in industry, but it could soon become one of the leading materials for achieving carbon-neutral construction goals.

Recycled plastic

Recycled plastic is plastic that is remanufactured from used plastic products through a process of collection, sorting, washing, shredding, melting, and forming new plastic pellets. The introduction of this material has significantly reduced plastic waste and decreased the need to produce new plastic from petroleum, thereby protecting natural resources.

Many manufacturers and designers have made efforts to use recycled plastic in their products. While this may be a small community effort, once recycling reaches an industrial level, it could soon become effective in reducing reliance on virgin plastic.

Terrazzo

Terrazzo is a recycled material used for flooring, made from fragments of marble and glass combined with cement, helping to reduce waste and conserve natural resources.

Terrazzo is a sustainable material that is popular today not only for its high aesthetic appeal with diverse colored fragments but also for its superior durability. This material has been used since ancient Roman times but became popular in the 18th century. Modern terrazzo has been upgraded from its older version with better scratch and crack resistance. Even plastic fragments can be recycled to become terrazzo.

Agglomerated cork

Compressed cork is a material made from the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber), using waste and by-products from the cork production process to compress into large composite blocks for use as interior materials. A cork oak tree has an average lifespan of over 200 years, and throughout its life, it can yield hundreds of kilograms of bark, creating an ideal green raw material.

Compressed cork has become a popular sustainable interior material due to its excellent waterproofing properties, lightweight nature, softness, smoothness, ease of cutting and sculpting into various shapes, and good thermal insulation. These characteristics make compressed cork an ideal choice for many construction and interior design applications, from insulation to environmentally friendly decorative surfaces.

The application of 10 environmentally friendly and sustainable building materials has opened new avenues for modern construction. From traditional engineered wood and recycled steel to groundbreaking materials like mycotoxins and composite cement, each solution contributes to reducing negative environmental impacts and creating sustainable structures. The trend of using recycled materials, renewable resources, and energy-efficient production technologies not only protects the planet but also brings long-term economic benefits.

An Cuong is committed to accompanying customers on their journey towards sustainable construction with engineered wood products certified by Green Label Singapore and GreenGuard. Our team of experts is ready to advise on suitable material solutions for each project, ensuring a balance between quality, aesthetics, and environmental responsibility. Contact An Cuong today for assistance in selecting the optimal sustainable materials for your project.