Eco-Friendly Drywall Options
Green products are a growing priority among homeowners and buyers in Boston and beyond. Many are becoming more aware of just how environmentally unfriendly building materials like drywall can be. In fact, when it comes to CO2 emissions, 52% of the world’s total comes from buildings—the energy they use, and the emissions created when the building supplies that go into them are manufactured.
Drywall in particular is the most popular form of interior wallboard, and its manufacturing requires a lot of energy—which means a lot of CO2 emissions. That’s why some homeowners are now looking for eco friendly drywall options. Let’s take a look at a few of the options available so that you know what to recommend when homeowners, buyers or developers start asking about green wallboard!
MgO Board as an Alternative
MgO board is a rising star among eco friendly drywall alternatives. Companies like ExtremeGreen produce this unique product, which comes with a lot of benefits. On the environmental side of things, this type of wallboard uses on average 50% less energy during the manufacturing process than drywall production. It’s also a recyclable product, and it’s one that can be composted to use as plant nutrients, too. Plus, it’s made up of non-toxic ingredients, which means that even if it does end up in a landfill someday, it won’t leech harmful chemicals into soil and water supplies.
When it comes to building concerns, MgO board is sturdy, making it resistant to impacts, scratches, and dents, which means it’s ideal in high-traffic locations. It’s also Class A1 fire rated so that it will fit with whatever local building codes require. To learn more about it, check out ExtremeGreen’s website!
Agricultural Waste Might Be the Answer
One up and coming eco friendly drywall option are wallboards manufactured from agricultural waste like wheat remnants or straw. Ortech is an Australian company prominent among others manufacturing this type of product. Their Durra Panels not only boast a high level of recycled agricultural waste, but they also have no formaldehyde or other chemical binders to hold the particles and fibers together. The result is a green alternative to drywall, one that homeowners love because since it doesn’t release chemical vapors, it doesn’t create indoor air pollution.
Look at Companies Like Homasote
Some companies specialize in eco-friendly manufacturing processes. Homasote is one of them. This building supply manufacturer operates on a closed-loop system, which means that all waste products produced by the manufacturing process—water, dust, rejected products, scrap, and more—is all recycled back into product manufacture. Companies with closed loop systems produce virtually no waste material.
What’s more, Homasote’s products are comprised largely of recycled material. For instance, their DesignWall 440, which is a pre-finished, fabric laminated wallboard, is made of 98% recycled materials. If you’d like to learn about the rest of their product line, here’s a breakdown of each product and their recycled material percentages.
This is just a sampling of the eco friendly drywall options available at New England Building Supply. If you’re looking for more options—or things like eco-friendly insulation and other products—feel free to take a look at all our suppliers have to offer, or contact us for more information!
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