Although climate may be the main factor to consider when assessing the sustainability of building products, it is not the only problem. As shown for some of the latest choices, other factors such as deforestation, toxicity and recycling are also important.

Around the world, things are slowly changing. The vaccination rate is rising, there is a light at the end of the lock tunnel, and we are beginning to think about the future of the "new normal".

At the same time, however, another major global crisis—climate change—has not disappeared. Although COVID-19 has taken center stage in the past 18 months or so, the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other content occasionally (and dramatically) bring us back to the climate.

Sustainability is particularly relevant to the construction and construction industry. As the European Energy Commission pointed out, when considering the global construction and material manufacturing industry from the perspective of the demand side, they collectively account for the largest contribution of mankind to global net carbon dioxide emissions.

In other words, the built environment is an important part of the problem. Environmental sustainability (ESD) is the solution. In short, the regulator needs to reduce energy consumption. Of course, this involves using things such as thermal efficiency, but importantly, it also involves understanding the concept of "embedded carbon"-that is, all carbon emissions related to products, including those related to raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, etc. carbon emission.

Of course, climate is not the only environmental problem. ESD must also address broader issues, such as deforestation, the use of toxic chemicals, manufacturing-related waste, and species loss. With all of this in mind, below is a wide selection of the latest sustainable building products and their suppliers.

Bluescope's Colorbond Coolmax steel is a tailor-made roofing product designed to provide and maintain high solar reflectance. Colorbond Coolmax offers a single color, called "Whitehaven", which aims to lower the roof temperature, thereby increasing the overall thermal efficiency of the buildings in which it is used.

This product is locally manufactured and complies with all relevant Australian standards. It is the result of real environmental exposure tests and accelerated laboratory tests conducted at BlueScope's factory in Australia. Therefore, it has a nominal solar reflectance of 0.77, a solar reflectance index (SRI) of 95, and a three-year aging SRI of 92.

Putting it in context, the nominal solar reflectance of 0.77 means that the product in question reflects 77% of solar heat. In other words, for those seeking to maximize thermal efficiency and reduce the impact of urban heat islands, Colorbond Coolmax steel is the ideal product (due to the nature of the built environment, urban areas are significantly warmer than the surrounding undeveloped areas).

Most importantly, specifiers who incorporate this roofing product into their projects can get the potential of Green Star to provide points and increase their NABERS rating.

The window is another important part of the thermal efficiency equation. However, although most people tend to think of glass immediately when referring to windows in this context, glass is not all. The most energy-efficient windows use high-quality glass and heat-insulating frames.

Because aluminum is an excellent heat conductor, a standard aluminum frame is not an energy-saving option. A broken aluminum frame—including a reinforced polyamide tape fixed between the inner and outer aluminum profiles and forming an insulating barrier within the frame—is a better choice.

The Thermaframe series of thermally broken doors and windows from Alspec, the market leader in the design and distribution of aluminum systems, is a good example. Specified together with high-quality glass, this series of products can reduce heat flow by up to 35%. But this is not their only benefit. In addition to reducing energy consumption, they also carry low levels of implicit energy. They reduce condensation, provide a high return on investment, and future-oriented real estate assets.

Solatube Australia's integrated LED light kit allows the integration of natural light and electric light from a single luminaire. The working principle of this product is to utilize the natural light of the sun during the day and provide energy-saving LED lighting at night.

The lighting system includes a dimming option that can be paired with manual and automatic dimming controls, making it ideal for offices and schools where lighting control and comfort are important.

Commercial integrated LED light kits were developed to meet the demand for technologies that provide the best lighting and energy saving. It is an intelligent fusion of natural light and LED lighting to achieve a clean ceiling design.

The kit’s tubular daylighting device (TDD) collects daylight on the roof, transmits it along the high reflector tube and distributes it evenly to the interior space through a diffuser on the ceiling-whether it is sunny or cloudy-with little debugging or maintenance.

Although energy efficiency and cost savings are one thing, the integrated LED light kit also provides features. According to the company, TDD provides the highest light transmission efficiency (LTE), the most consistent color temperature retention (CTM), and the best light-to-solar heat gain ratio of any daylighting system on the market.

Ecopact is a low-carbon concrete available from Holcim, which is a supplier of aggregates, ready-mixed concrete, concrete pipes and related products. Although it is comparable to or even better than traditional concrete products in terms of performance, Ecopact uses fewer natural resources and contains less embodied carbon than these products.

This is possible because its manufacturing involves replacing some standard cement with industrial by-products such as fly ash, blast furnace slag and silica fume. Compared with the basic case of the Australian National Life Cycle Inventory database, Ecopact offers a variety of intensity levels, which can reduce embodied carbon by 30-60%. In line with industry standards, Ecopact can be treated, pumped and finished in the same way as traditional concrete. The type and strength of the product required depends on the specific application.

Importantly, Ecopact is the first low-carbon concrete brand to be supported by a third-party certified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), which means that the company's implied carbon emission reduction data has been independently verified.

For those who wish to go further in the cause of sustainable development, Holcim now offers the opportunity to offset any remaining embodied carbon from its ready-mixed concrete. This is called Ecopact Zero, and it provides a full offset of carbon emissions from the cradle to the gate through environmental projects certified by the Australian Government's Climate Active Program.

As a sustainable flooring solution, manufactured according to the same formula since 1898, Tarkett linoleum combines natural beauty with comfort and durability. It is made of 94% natural raw materials and offers a series of traditional marble patterns and colors. After the company's xf² surface protection treatment, its durability, easy cleaning and cost-effective maintenance are trustworthy.

Tarkett focuses on all stages of the product life cycle, committed to sustainable production and the transition to a circular economy business model. Therefore, its linoleum floor is not only fully recyclable, but it is also the world's first product of its kind to be certified from Cradle to Cradle.

Further initiatives at its Narni plant in Italy include the ambition of achieving net zero emissions, the use of heat exchangers to recover and reuse the heat in the oven, the installation of biomass boilers, the production of hot water to heat the oven and the closed-circulating water cycle industry Water system. Most importantly, 34% of the energy used at the factory's production site is recycled 1,600 tons of recycled materials annually.

Suitable for the construction of slats, slatted privacy screens, floors, decorative panels, cladding, countertops, sound insulation panels, shelves, steps, railings, partitions, flower pots, characteristic walls, etc., engineered bamboo provides the look and feel of wood, but Far beyond the more traditional materials in terms of environmental protection.

The fully biodegradable engineered bamboo has higher tensile strength than concrete and oak, but is lighter than maple. Most importantly, it absorbs four times the carbon of trees and produces 35% more oxygen than trees. Moreover, although forest products require 25 to 80 years of maturity for trees to be harvested, bamboo with a short harvest cycle usually takes only 5 to 7 years to harvest.

A simple herbaceous plant that can be regenerated. Harvested bamboo will regenerate naturally after harvest. It is resistant to termites and has a complex root system that helps prevent soil erosion and suppress flooding.

Those who purchase engineered wood products from House of Bamboo can do so because it is the only Australian supplier that has obtained both Greentag A-level certification and Platinum Healthrate certification. This means that their products are good not only in terms of sustainability but also in terms of non-toxicity.

Available from Futurewood, Enviroslat is a composite wood building material commonly used for decoration, screening and cladding applications. Made from up to 90% recycled materials (ie HDPE/PP plastic, sawdust wood flour and rice husk), outdoor products with the Enviroslat brand require far less maintenance than wood products, no painting or any other chemicals Finish or coating.

EnviroSlat is antiseptic and termite resistant. A Long life, pre-colored material, will not cup or break, and is UV stable. Tested to adapt to Australian conditions, it represents a reliable and sustainable alternative to traditional wood products.

With twelve color options, 14dB noise reduction and excellent slip resistance, Altro Wood adhesive-free is a safe, durable, decorative and sustainable flooring solution suitable for busy spaces. In terms of application, it is recommended for bedrooms and suites in nursing homes and hotels; as an alternative to LVT for student dormitories; public lounges and faculty lounges in schools; and cafes and dining areas.

Adopting no glue installation method, it can be welded and walked on the same day, it can be easily disassembled after the end of its service life, and can be reused or recycled. Therefore, it is very suitable for busy public spaces where disturbances need to be minimized, and there is no associated sticky smell.

Altro Flooring and Walling manufactures and recycles its traditional safety floors in-house. Most importantly, the product complies with low VOC guidelines and does not contain phthalates. It is made of biological plasticizer, 100% recyclable after installation, and can be lifted and reused after initial installation. Use tape system instead of adhesive for installation, can provide company's EPD, HPD statement.

Considering that leakage accounts for a large proportion of total water consumption, especially in commercial buildings, preventing leakage and using technology and data-driven insights to improve efficiency represents the next frontier in water sustainability.

Caroma Smart Command originates from the desire to monitor and improve sustainability, user experience and maintenance systems. It is a Bluetooth-enabled bathroom installation ecosystem that can deliver water consumption, leak detection, behavior trends, etc. to Caroma Smart Command in near real time Cloud and/or Building Management System (BMS).

The Caroma Smart Command ecosystem is more of a combination of fixed devices than a single product. It consists of a non-contact faucet, a non-contact toilet flushing plate, an automatic urinal flush valve, a smart touch screen shower interface, and a leak detection and prevention valve.

Caroma Smart Command Cloud (the only device of its kind on the market) monitors these different devices, organizes all data points, provides access to insightful reports, and enables active management of bathroom equipment.

Caroma Smart Command Eco Valves learns building consumption patterns and warns of potential minor leaks; when a major leak is detected, it sends an alarm and isolates the supply.

Most importantly, by tracking handwash activation, Caroma Smart Command can perform targeted preventive maintenance to extend the life of the fixture and reduce emergency calls. The data generated by the fixture also helps inform cleaning cycles and efficiency.

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