With each successive innovation or improvement surpassing it’s non-sustainable, or pseudo-sustainable, predecessor, green building product solutions seem to be getting turned out every other minute these days, . While the bleeding edge of many of these innovations and advancements offer real hope for the future of sustainable building design and construction, more often times than not, many of these products’ environmental benefits, and applications, are very narrow, undefined, and sometimes, even counterintuitive to their intended purpose.
Recycled Content Doesn’t Automatically Make It Good
As readers to this new blog may have already been able to gather, I’m constantly dubious of any and all ‘green’ claims relating to ‘recycled composite materials’. While heralded by the general public, and often the product’s own marketing campaign, as being ‘green’, ‘eco-friendly’ or whatever trite ‘eco-term’ is currently en vogue, composite material products’, particularly those containing recycled content, are hardly as good for the planet as their claims make them out to be. First of all, these products’ embodied energy is usually very high due to the energy intensive processes involved in combining often dissimilar materials and getting the recycled materials back into a usable form. Secondly, composite material-based products often fail to surpass, or at best match, the durability, ease of use and aesthetics of their more commonly used, and often less expensive, ‘non-green’ counterparts (TREX is an unfortunate example). Because of these reasons, it can often be argued that such composite material-based products are not only ‘non-green’, but also don’t qualify as a superior, or even satisfactory, replacement for the applicable product for which they were designed to replace.
A Real Green Contender
Thankfully, VAST Enterprises is one of the few manufacturers attempting to solve many of these problems with one product whose application, manufacture, and material sourcing appears to be vastly superior, both environmentally and practically speaking, than it’s industry standard counterpart. The product is VAST Composite Landscape and Deck Pavers. I know what you’re saying, “Author, you just said composite materials are…” I know I know, but hear me out.
Though many people believe to the contrary, concrete, in not so many words, sucks for the environment. Almost a tenth of the CO2 released into the atmosphere annually comes from the production of concrete and much of the waste from the production process ends up in landfills. Not to mention that it’s one of the most energy intensive manufacturing processes in the world. So for eco-minded homeowners, and builders alike, to have the option to select products that take the place of concrete, and more importantly its manufacturing process entirely, is a boon for their conscious and the environment. Make these products superior to concrete, and often times less expensive to purchase and install, and you’ve got yourself a real competitor in the marketplace.
VAST Composite Landscape and Deck Pavers achieve all of this and more. Made from 95% post-recycled consumer content, VAST makes good use of two incredibly problematic waste items: tires and plastic bottles. In fact, the company claims for every 1,000 sqft of VAST, 500 scrap tires and 15,000 plastic bottles are kept out of landfills or burned. Not only does VAST have bragging rights when it comes to its environmental responsibility, but the product also offers superior performance over concrete (specifically concrete pavers) when it comes to their intended application (walkways, decks, driveways, and patios). Also, it is often times less expensive to purchase and install.
By reducing the need for concrete, and consequently it’s production, VAST helps reduce all of the environmental catastrophes associated with the concrete production. While I’m taking most of what they say about their manufacturing process and product claims at face value, the product appears to do, and be, what it claims. VAST’s website states that “VAST is the first composite material in the world, made almost entirely of recycled materials with the physical strength, durability and natural appearance to replace concrete.” This is true. They also claim:
- Every 1,000 square feet of VAST Composite Pavers saves 500 scrap tires and 15,000 plastic bottles from landfills
- Manufactured with zero toxic or harmful emissions and zero waste
- 100% of all VAST Composite Pavers can be removed and recycled into new pavers
- One-third the weight of concrete
- Durable under light vehicular traffic, snow plows, forklifts and skid loaders
- Easy to cut and handle
- Innovative grid system dramatically reduces labor expense and improves installation quality
- Maintenance-free, natural look guaranteed to not crack
- Pervious surface allows stormwater absorbtion
- Brilliant fade-resistant colors
As green building products go, VAST is the Shangri-La of environmental benefit and product performance. Though not 100% perfect, VAST definitely is leaving its competitors in the dust when it comes to offering the full sustainability package.
The Good: Incredibly versatile, durable, easy-to-use, and a robustly green building product that seems to have been engineered to address a multitude of problems, both environmental and practical.
The Bad: Though markedly less than its concrete counterparts, VAST’s manufacture process is somewhat energy intensive due to the nature of the recycled materials used in its composition. This could be offset through the use of renewable clean energy for its manufacture. It’s geographical availability appears to be very limited.
The Bottom-Line: A great innovative product that surpasses its concrete counterparts while at the same time having multi-faceted environmental benefits.
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