The built environment is responsible for nearly 40% of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), offering an incredible opportunity for impact through industry change. 

The inclusion of sustainability within legislation, regulation, codes, and standards can be a powerful tool to advance resource conservation, building decarbonization, and climate change resiliency within the construction industry. This blog details some of the most prevalent current topics relevant to promoting sustainability within the industry through governance and policy. 

Microplastics are tiny and typically derive from larger objects. They are often broken down by sunlight, oxygen, or friction. This blog addresses concerns that plastic piping systems, such as polyethylene (PE), crosslinked polyethylene (PEX), polyethylene of raised temperature (PE-RT), polypropylene (PP), and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) leach microplastics into drinking water and contaminate the water supply. 

PEX (an acronym for crosslinked polyethylene) is a popular, high-performance piping solution for residential and commercial applications. However, the assumption that all PEX is created equal is not true and can lead to costly mistakes. Using inferior PEX can result in troublesome issues, requiring expensive repiping efforts that can also damage your reputation with customers.