COP26 has come to a close in Glasgow, Scotland. Last year, the conference attracted considerable interest given the evidence of a swiftly warming planet. Climate change confronts every walk of humanity and everyone, in their own capacity; can make a difference, regardless of how minimal the effort.

Last year’s conference reminded us that global warming brings with it major changes to the way we do life. Our actions now impact those yet to walk the earth. “While most businesses and households are doing a fair bit to curb the effects of a rapidly heating planet, it is evident that we need to do more in order to slow down the effects of environmental change,” said Hermann Haupt, Vice President, CHEP Sub Saharan Africa, the global supply-chain solutions company. “Behavioural change now goes even further than the noble act of recycling waste and turning off power sources not in use. We need to scrutinise every business activity and consult with the relevant industry specialists to find ways to implement these in a smarter, environmentally sound way thus saving our planet for the generations to come,” said Haupt.

This article deep dives into an often-overlooked area – the use of raw materials across various disciplines and, provides insight into better choices regardless of the need.

Wood

Wood is renowned for being one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable materials available. It enjoys its hierarchical spot in the sustainability chart given its ability to absorb carbon dioxide while growing. However, choose wisely when it comes to using wood. You want to look out for a brand which doesn’t only prioritise quality but, also prioritises the environment and its commitment to sustainability. For example, CHEP pallets are 100% reusable and recyclable. The timber which is sourced for these pallets comes from a controlled selection of wood. Other benefits of using wood include fewer energy requirements for activities such as harvest to transport; manufacturing; installation; maintenance and, eventually – recycling.

Glass

Not only is glass beautiful to behold but, it is also infinitely recyclable. Made from all-natural sources such as sand; soda ash and limestone, it never loses its purity, regardless of how many times it enters the recycling chain. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WFF), the advantages of preferring glass include:

• The cost savings of recycling is in the use of energy. Compared to making glass from raw materials for the first time, cullet melts at a lower temperature. So, we can save on energy needed to melt the glass
• Glass produced from recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20% and related water pollution by 50%
• Recycling glass reduces the space in landfills that would otherwise be taken up by used bottles and jars

Plastic

This material takes up to 450 years to decompose in a landfill. Plastic straws alone, take up to a shocking 200 years to break down. The reason behind its slow degradation is that the materials used to produce plastic, do not exist naturally. These observations are alarming, however, are there any benefits to using the material at all? Recent reports have documented that plastic may just be a wise choice for the building sector. Sibele Cestari, Enterprise Fellowship Researcher at Queen's University in Belfast documented otherwise in an article published in her name on BBC.com in August of last year. In it, she notes that the world’s growing wastelands of disused plastics can actually be turned into a new kind of sustainable building fit for the environment. “Plastics are strong, durable, waterproof, lightweight, easy to mould, and recyclable – all key properties for construction materials. What if all of this plastic waste could be converted into building materials for low-income populations? Existing initiatives are promising, but not yet reproducible on an industrial scale,” she says. While this material is still undergoing considerable research regarding its effects on the environment, it is safe at this point in time to recommend humans avoiding using the material.

Metals

It has been reported that the roof on the Chrysler Building in New York is nearly 100 years old and has been cleaned only once. It is expected to perform well for at least another century. Zinc roofs in Paris have held up since the Napoleonic era. Almost all metals are recyclable with the process not impacting the materials’ properties. This means, that the use thereof proves sound as far as eco-friendliness is concerned. According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), steel is the most recycled material on the planet. Other highly recyclable metals include aluminium, copper, silver, brass, and gold which, makes this raw material ideal for consideration.

While we needn’t live in fear of the future, we do need to think through ways on how we can save the planet. Small acts of thoughtfulness at key decision-making levels will cause a ripple effect across the earth and, in turn save the environment.