ForConstructionPros.com

Recent reports on global warming, combined with higher oil prices and growing public awareness, have led to outcry for more environmentally sound industry practices. The construction industry is certainly no exception to these demands.

Yet, understanding what steps your company should take to become more "eco-friendly" can be a challenge. Part of the problem is understanding what "going green" really means for your business.

It depends, in part, on the type of construction you perform. If you're involved in educational, institutional or industrial building projects, green building typically starts before the ground is broken. Various project owners are now striving for certification under programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). According to the USGBC, LEED "promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality."

The program encourages owners, architects, engineers, contractors and others involved in a project to come together in the design stage to identify and evaluate methods, materials and processes that can ensure the most environmentally friendly structure possible. Once the project begins, the contractor must then utilize eco-friendly practices (i.e., recycling waste material) throughout construction.

Yet, you don't have to be qualifying for LEED certification to be more environmentally conscious on your jobsites. Any contractor can implement eco-friendly practices into its operations. And in certain cases, you may actually reduce your costs and enhance your profit potential in the process.