Sustainable Material Management in Construction: Hows and Whys

Sustainability in construction has become an important issue in the past few years. It has become one of the key vehicles for the successful completion of construction projects , and is vital to fully grasping how to start a construction company. Despite a rise in the knowledge and awareness of sustainable material management in construction, common planning processes for construction projects still lack the implementation of sophisticated and advanced methodologies. Most of the project management decisions focus on a particular project with well-established goals including timeline keeping and cost minimization. However, targets beyond time and cost are not thought of and given due importance.Sustainable construction materials management refers to a systematic approach to using and reusing construction material in a more productive manner over their entire life cycle. It attempts to change how our society perceives the use of natural resources and environmental protection. In the process of examining and studying how materials are used throughout their lifecycle, sustainable construction inventory management aims to:· Reduce toxic chemicals and environmental impacts of the material· Use the materials in the most productive manner· Assure that we have enough to cater to the needs of today as well as the futureRole of Sustainability in the Construction IndustryThe construction industry plays an important role in putting the concept of sustainability into practice. Even though it is an inevitable step for development, it is also a major contributor of pollutants. The construction industry accounts for over 20-30% of the greenhouse gas emission and 30-40% of global energy consumption. The environmental impact of construction projects originates from construction materials, the methods of construction, location, and layout among other things. To list a few of these impactful activities:· Movement of equipment, materials and components between various sites.· Production of building materials· Operation of equipment on the site, and running of machineryThe negative impact of construction projects can be manifold. Resource depletion is a major concern with the excessive use of timber, sand, clay, and limestone. The physical disruption of ecosystems and climatic changes are other ways through which the construction industry depletes our environment.Given the above implications, it is obvious that the construction industry needs to take immediate steps for a positive contribution towards the environment focusing on construction inventory management.The responsibility of sustainable construction materials management needs to be understood and taken by all construction workers. BuildSupply is doing its bit by having established a construction material management software that pays heed to all these concerns and helps create a better construction procedure that, in turn, reduces material wastage and eventually, supports our environment.