Sustainable landscaping includes using recycled materials, which is good for the planet and your wallet. Using recycled materials doesn’t have to be tricky, not with us around!
TerraCast Products uses up to 100% post-recycled materials to create one-of-a-kind resin-based products, not to mention all of our products are recyclable. In other words, you reap the benefits of landscaping with recycled materials while getting brand new products that add to the look and quality of your commercial or residential location.
What Is Sustainable Landscaping?
Using recycled materials for landscaping is one of many ways to create sustainable landscaping. But, what really is sustainable landscaping?
As the population continues to increase, so too do the resources we use up as well as the waste we generate. If we use too many resources and produce too much waste, we are putting the future of our planet at a great disadvantage.
Sustainable landscaping provides a long-term solution to this problem, creating a way of landscaping that our planet and local communities can handle over the long haul.
Sustainable landscaping practices reduce the use of valuable resources and work to reduce waste. They also decrease air and water pollution. All in all, sustainable landscaping is meant to provide the greatest number of benefits with the least amount of negative environmental impacts.
Types Of Recycled Materials
Using recycled materials is a big part of sustainable landscaping. There are plenty of recycled materials you can turn to, for instance:
- Use grated old tires to create rubberized asphalt.
- Request concrete that contains fly ash, or other recycled materials.
- Create stepping-stones from recycled glass or other recycled materials.
The thing is, you don’t have to get super creative to use eco-friendly recycled materials. We take care of the hard work for you, creating high quality, extremely durable products that happen to be made from recycled materials. As a result, you get to enjoy the feel-good benefits of using recycled materials without having to get all DIY.
There are many types of recycled materials approved for sustainable landscaping projects, including:
Salvaged Materials
Salvaged materials are an acceptable form of sustainable landscaping. This is when you move resources from one site that no longer needs them to another site that does. Salvaged materials may pertain to bricks, stones, pavers, and so forth. Ask around your local community in order to find out if there is somewhere you can pull materials from. Not only will this save you money, but also it will help your project remain more sustainable.
Local Materials
Turning to local materials is another sustainable form of landscaping. After all, if we outsource all materials and products we put people in America out of jobs. When our own community is short on work, the entire economy suffers. As a result, the only way for America to truly remain great is to maintain jobs here at home.
It may cost more to manufacture something in the US as opposed to China, but the long-term consequences of outsourcing are far more cost prohibitive than originally realized. Using local materials helps keep jobs on our soil, building an economy we can trust going into the future.
Using local materials also reduces the need to waste as many precious resources during transportation. Shipping 1-ton of materials over a single mile uses as much as 2,000 to 6,000 BTUs. By keeping things local you reduce your shipping costs, as well as the non-renewable resources needed for transportation.
We are proud to manufacture all TerraCast Products at home in the US, making them sustainable in far more ways than one.
Products Made From Recycled Materials
Renewable resources are defined as resources that can be continually regenerated. On the other hand, non-renewable resources are at risk of disappearing all together. Lumber, for example, is a renewable resource, but that doesn’t mean we can chop down trees without second thought. In fact, prior to the 1900’s, we were cutting down more trees than forests could support over time. This changed after Congress passed the Forest Management Act in 1897.
Even though trees are renewable, the factors used to manufacture them into useable lumber harm animals, local communities and the environment at large. In other words, even renewable resources must be used with caution.
Products made from recycled materials are a great way to get around using non-renewable and fragile renewable resources. Using landscaping materials made from recycled products greatly decreases the burden on the planet.
TerraCast Products are proudly made from as much as 100% post-consumer recycled materials.
Programs That Promote Sustainable Landscaping & Development
There are a couple programs actively working to support and reward projects that rely on sustainable landscaping, including Sustainable Sites Initiative and LEED Certification.
Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI)
The SSI, led by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) gives out credits based on the use of reused and recycled materials. This includes everything from the materials supply chain to plant production and the manufacturing of materials.
Learn More Here: http://www.sustainablesites.org
LEED Certified
LEED Certification is a program used to monitor and promote the use of greener project management and construction. A commercial project utilizing eco-friendly materials and practices is eligible to apply for LEED certification. This is a big honor and could make a great selling point to future tenants, customers and so forth.
Using recycled materials is one way to score points for this form of certification. All TerraCast Products are a great choice for LEED Certified projects.
Learn More Here: LEED Certification.
We Want To Help You Help The Environment
You can help ensure our amazing planet is around for future generations to enjoy and you don’t have to switch to a compositing toilet or cut your showers in half. Instead, we are here to help you help the planet, pain free! We make it easier than ever to go green. All you have to do? Purchase our landscaping products made from recycled materials.
TerraCast Products outlast the competition by years thanks to our specially formulated resin-based blend. Our lampposts, trashcans, planters, benches and more are made from materials that do not rust, corrode or break down due to water damage. That means you get long lasting durable landscaping materials and reap the benefits of sustainable landscaping.