What was once primarily thought of as an issue for the environmental and sustainability sectors has quickly become an issue for us all. Despite the 1997 Kyoto agreement stating Canada would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent before the year 2010, we instead have seen an increase of 20 per cent in our carbon output. And while the debate over climate change continues, the majority of scientists, policy makers, and the public will agree that the overconsumption of resources and the pollution of air, land and water cannot be sustained at its current rate.
How Do We Make a Change?
Did you know that buildings consume over 40 percent of the raw materials and energy produced in Canada? With this statistic in mind, architects, engineers and other construction professionals are beginning to come up with new and innovative ways to create both beautiful and eco-friendly homes, offices, commercial buildings, and public spaces.
What is Sustainable Architecture?
While many professionals in the industry have already begun to incorporate green practices into the design and construction of their buildings, sustainable architecture needs to be more than selecting environmentally friendly materials. To be considered truly sustainable, the creation of buildings must involve the consumption of only renewable resources throughout all stages – including the manufacturing and transportation of all components.
A Challenge To Do Better
Organizations involved in the building industry have begun to take initiative by encouraging everyone involved in the design, construction, and the finishing of a structure to aim high when it comes to making greener choices. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada has created the RAIC 2030 Challenge, which has set targets for the reduction of energy consumption. The goal is that by 2030, both new and renovated buildings will use no fossil fuels and emit no greenhouse gasses.
Green Building Rating Systems
Several ratings systems have been set up in Canada to evaluate eco-conscious building design such as LEED Canada, Green Globes, and BREEAM. Not only were these systems designed to help quantify the environmental friendliness of a building, but also to raise public awareness, interest, and knowledge about the importance of creating a more sustainable future.
Powder Coating is a Sustainable Choice
Cadillac Coatings’ patented powder coating process was designed with these same principles in mind. While traditional liquid paints emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), powder coating does not. Less energy is required during the manufacturing and transportation stages because powder coating is lighter and needs less packaging. Less waste is created during the application process because any overspray can be collected and recycled. Further, powder coating has a carbon footprint up to 10 times less than solvent-borne spray applied liquid coating – making it an eco-conscious alternative for building exteriors, interiors and everything in between.
Doing Our Part
Information surrounding topics such as climate change and global warming can sometimes be overwhelming and even contradictory, but if instead, we focus on the message encompassed in the simple phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle” we can help by doing our part little by little – every day. Use fewer resources, reuse what we can and turn what can’t be reused into something else. At Cadillac Coatings, we keep these principles at the core of what we stand for and what we do.
To find out more about our sustainable powder coating process contact us today!