If you are in the process of building a new home and a green one at that, the choice of building material is of utmost importance. While there are many options available to the builder, one needs to consider which will truly meet construction requirements while attaining green status.

Key concerns in choosing green building materials relate to the renewable or recyclable nature of the material. Materials such as FSC woods and bamboo are responsibly harvested and can be regrown faster than traditional or damaging practices such as clear cutting. Steel framing materials are also well-regarded as they can be up to 70 recycled from older materials. In a similar vein, repurposing used materials is a very eco-friendly practice, one such example being the incorporation of old tires into the structure of a house.

Another aspect to be considered is how well the materials insulate the house as energy use reduction is a vital component of green building. Finally, in an ideal world, building materials should be sourced locally to ensure a lower carbon footprint. Builders who take into account some if not all of these concerns should be able to decide on materials that lend themselves to building green.