Ever heard the term “Material Efficiency”?
It’s about choosing materials that produce less CO2 during their production process.
Take steel production, for example.
- Two metric tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere for every ton, so steel is produced.
- North America’s largest steel mill emits 2 billion points of CO2 annually. They produce about 50 pounds of steel per year per person in the USA.*
That’s just one part of the industrial sector, with steel being one of the significant components of the construction industry.
We can do better if we pay attention.
- Where practical, replace steel with wood or other less CO2 intense products.
- When steel is the best choice, choose a producer who is taking action to reduce CO2 emissions.
WexEnergy doesn’t use steel. Instead, we use plastics to make existing windows more energy efficient.
WexWindows are designed to remain on windows for up to 40 years, unlike one-time-use throw-away plastic bottles. As a result, WexWindows keep old windows out of landfills while reducing building envelope energy loss. And we have chosen plastics that, in the future, will lend themselves to a recycling process that breaks down the material so that it can be remanufactured into virgin clear plastic materials.
Material efficiency. Producer responsibility. Consumer responsibility.
They all provide a better future for you, your kids, and your grandkids.
* Heather Clancy, “Another milestone for green steel production,” CLIMATETECH RUNDOWN a GreenBIZ newsletter, February 8, 2023, https://info.greenbiz.com/index.php/email/emailWebview?md_id=30469