Since the beginning of civilization, genuine stone has been used to build our homes, educational facilities and commercial buildings—its beauty and durability are unmatched in the construction world. Now, the genuine stone industry is starting to highlight its eco-friendly status. The industry is working to not only better position genuine stone in the LEED rating system but also identify the facets that make genuine stone an environmentally responsible product.
Taking Action
The genuine stone industry has taken several steps to better understand and further position genuine stone as a preferred sustainable building material. Specifically, the NSC has:
Established an external advisory committee of respected individuals knowledgeable about green building and environmental issues to advise the Council and provide much needed insight and guidance.
Created a sustainability committee or Green Committee, as they are already known to many in the stone world. This committee is made up of key industry members who will elevate the issues of sustainability and will be responsible for planning and implementing initiatives.
Partnered with the Center for Clean Products at The University of Tennessee (UT) to evaluate and ultimately improve the environmental performance of the industry. The joint research plan includes an environmental life-cycle assessment of certain stone products, the development of strategic sustainability goals for the industry, and a plan for outreach to the environmental and green building communities. Release dates are projected as follows:
Life-cycle datasets — version 1 already posted, version 2 at end of 2008
Best practices — first document now posted; watch for the second in early December and every 3 months thereafter until May 2009
Case studies — first study now posted; watch for the second in early November and every 2 months thereafter until May 2009
Material fact sheets — mid October 2008
Life-cycle assessment — end of May 2009
The information will be accessible at tradeshows and within trade association publications. Representatives from the NSC along with the UT Center for Clean Products will be offering a presentation at StoneExpo 2008 to discuss the NSC’s current environmental initiative as well as its future direction. The information garnered from this effort will further establish genuine stone as an environmentally responsible choice for designers, installers and building owners alike.
To learn more about the efforts of the NSC Committee on Sustainability please contact John Mattke, Chairman of NSC Committee on Sustainability, at 320-685-3621.
