As populations around the world continue to increase and the climate crisis grows more concerning with each passing day, the need for sustainable development in all shapes and sizes has never been higher. This means we need new construction methods, materials, and strategies that are as eco-friendly as possible.
Environmental Sustainability & Sustainable Development Examples
Thankfully, there are more than a few companies and products on the market right now that can go a long way towards achieving this goal. Let’s take an in-depth look at some sustainable development examples helping to change the world and preserve our future.
1. TRUEGRID Permeable Pavers
Impermeable paving like concrete and asphalt is a major environmental concern, and is not sustainable at the rate it’s being installed across the globe. This is because impermeable paving is not only sourced from non-environmentally-friendly places, but it requires more resources to produce and poses a flooding and pollution threat to the very ground it’s laid on.
Concrete and asphalt paving, as well as other types of impermeable paving, require drainage systems to manage their stormwater runoff. These require a lot of resources and time to install.
Permeable paving, however, provides a paved surface with equal to or greater than the functional value of impermeable paving, while allowing liquid to drain directly through it into a detention base that acts like a detention pond or into the ground itself. TRUEGRID pavers can be used to build driveways, commercial parking lots, fire lanes, industrial parking lots, and any other space that requires paving. The process of installing these pavers is much simpler than traditional paving, requiring far fewer resources and time, while putting much less of a strain on the local environment.
Filled with an aggregate, like gravel, the permeable pavers from TRUEGRID are just as durable as concrete or asphalt and require much less maintenance. They allow stormwater and other liquid to pass right through them, eliminating the threat of flooding as well as the need for wasteful drainage systems to be installed.
By working with mother nature instead of against it, these pavers are one of the best examples of sustainable development and we expect to see them implemented in both urban and rural areas far and wide in 2020.
2. ICF Construction from Fox Blocks
ICF construction has taken the world by storm in recent years, especially areas prone to extreme weather. Fox Blocks is leading the charge in this category with its environmentally friendly methods and materials. Insulated Concrete Forms are hollow concrete blocks reinforced by rebar.
They form a solid, continuous barrier against air and vapor, exceeding airtightness requirements in every municipality and region, as well as providing far superior strength and durability in the face of extreme weather like hurricanes, tornadoes, and more.
How Fox Blocks differs from their competition, though, is that their materials are specifically designed with eco-friendliness in mind. They do not off-gas and they aren’t made with any gases which are harmful to the ozone or our environment. They also require low levels of energy to build, and the process of doing so is incredibly efficient.
Fox Blocks are sustainable and will last the entire lifetime of a home or building. Because of their superior energy efficiency, they go a long way towards lowering overall energy usage and waste throughout the lifetime of a home or building as well.
3. Green Spaces
In 2020, the proliferation of green spaces within urban environments is expected to continue on a large scale. Green spaces are areas of trees, grass, and other types of vegetation located within primarily urban environments. New York City’s Central Park is one of the biggest sustainable development examples.
In addition to being a welcome aesthetic and a change of pace from the concrete and skyscrapers in urban areas, green spaces also provide real value in terms of sustainability. They help to improve air quality, recharge supplies of groundwater, reduce air temperature, and protect streams and lakes from polluted runoff. They also prevent soil erosion and help maintain the quality of water in the area.
4. Eco-Friendly Aesthetics
Louvers help to minimize air moisture intrusion, air pollution, and noise pollution in a building or home. Eco blinds from Blindsgalore are made from eco-friendly materials like reed, jute, bamboo, or sustainably harvested wood.
5. Solar Panels
Solar panels are one of the most easily-recognizable examples of sustainable development. They can be fitted to buildings of any shape or size, and cost less to install than they ever have. Solar panels can provide enough power to make a building completely energy-independent and can even take the form of shingle-sized solar shingles which are interwoven with the rest of a building’s shingles.
6. Waste-to-Energy Recycling
This is a method of turning waste into energy and yet another one of the best sustainable development examples we’ll see next year. These facilities use combustion to turn non-hazardous waste into steam energy and electricity. Rather than being sent to a landfill, waste such as rags, absorbents, PPE, and organic debris are combusted and used to provide energy, reducing a building or area’s dependence on external energy providers.
7. Water Treatment Plants
These plants intake oily water, bases, and water-based acids and turn them into clean water that can be used for industrial purposes. Not only does this help eliminate pollutants from the water cycle, it also reduces the need for outside water providers. This makes water treatment plants another one of our favorite sustainable development examples for 2020.
8. Wind Turbines
Wind is essentially free energy, and harnessing it with wind turbines can help new areas of development to be more sustainable. Combined with other sustainable development examples, these can be an integral part of a larger sustainability-based strategy.
Sustainable Development is Key in 2022
New developments of land will need to focus heavily on sustainability in 2022. These examples of sustainable development are expected to be some of the most widely-implemented and effective methods for sustainability as we move into the new decade.
Hopefully, by using these products and strategies, we can break new ground in the fight against global warming and protect ourselves from new impending disasters and financial hardships.
