12 Dec Embracing Change: Green Trends USA

Guest Post by Sam Marquit of Fair Marquit Value.

Image from http://www.travelagentcentral.com/usa-las-vegas/las-vegas-palazzo-resort-named-most-eco-friendly-hotel-america-40019

Between 2013 and 2020, the worldwide market for green materials is expected to grow from $116 billion to $254 billion. As contractors facing such a drastic market change, it seems more than prudent to take a quick look at how the trend is being influenced by recent residential and commercial construction efforts across the country.

With increasing regularity, individuals and businesses are embracing the “three R’s”—reduce, reuse, and recycle. In Las Vegas, the ARIA hotel is an excellent example of the many businesses that are developing comprehensive sorting centers that divert waste to recycling facilities. Currently, the hotel portion of the ARIA is diverting up to 47% of its waste from landfill centers to recycle or reuse efforts. Meanwhile, the ARIA’s convention center is doing even better, redirecting a whopping 80% from its show floors. While relatively few individuals may be turning their food scraps into farm feed like the convention center, it’s still easy to see the increasing popularity of the “R-triangle.” Although recycling may be the most famous component, scores of people are increasingly focusing efforts on reduction and reuse as well. The latter of these is obvious with the popular reclamation of things like furniture and tools. For other common household items, including baggies, paper, and plastic bags, it isn’t uncommon to see less use, followed by reuse, followed by recycling. Even a process known as up cycling has been gaining popularity. This process allows people to find new uses for old worn out items.

Of course, the scope of eco-friendly innovation is much larger than just traditional waste management efforts of businesses and individuals. Another Las Vegas hotel, the Palazzo, has had great success focusing on efforts of water conservation. To begin with, the resort’s public air conditioning system utilizes an innovative cooling technology that saves more than 10 million gallons per year. Not content to stop there, the Palazzo adapted a popular residential technology called drip-irrigation that funnels shower and gray water through an underground system to the hotel’s extensive green areas. Popularized in drought ravaged residential communities, this drip-irrigation technology provides a simple, effective way to reduce, reuse, and recycle the desert-based hotel’s precious water supplies. Coupled with artificial grass, moisture sensors, and advanced planters, the Palazzo has been able to reduce its exterior water usage by more than 8 million gallons per year. Because of its sustainable features, the hotel was named the Most Eco-Friendly Hotel in America”.

Recognizing that green materials, green processes, and green-innovations are all part of the same shift in demand is vital to understanding the current trend. As contractors, the way forward seems clear- adept, embrace, and explore the limits of a greener world. There are certain places in the U.S that seem to be ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability. One area is the Vegas strip which sees millions of travelers each year. Another is Austin, Texas. While not quite the tourist destination Vegas is, this city is doing great “green” things. The city has implemented various policies and requirements. One is on new construction projects and major renovations costing more than $2 million in total work. These projects must achieve LEED Silver certification! This is a great policy to implement and my hope is that other cities continue to catch on.