Sustainable Building Products

The term "sustainable products" usually suggests renewable energy systems such as solar panels or wind turbines.

Renewable energy is certainly a very important contributor to reducing our carbon footprint and moving towards more sustainable construction, and Jewson can help you with these technologies through our sister company Greenworks.

However, this is only part of the solution. There are many products on the market, across all areas of construction, which can make a huge difference to the sustainability of a building. Simple changes such as ensuring the correct levels and types of insulation are used in a building can be enough to reduce CO2 emissions by a staggering amount.

The responsibility doesn't all rest with new build either. In terms of the built environment it is the existing building stock that accounts for the vast majority of carbon emissions and is where the greatest opportunity for savings can be found. The Government has put in place a number of schemes and policies to tackle the issue including the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates, the Energy Saving Trust's "Act on CO2" advice line, Warm Front and Decent Homes.

It is difficult to say categorically that one product offers a more sustainable solution than another in the absence of a definitive set of guidelines or prior knowledge of usage. However we have tried to cover a few basic principles and offer advice which may hopefully be used to help you make the more sustainable choice in your customers' projects.

In this area of the website you will find an introduction to these products - use the left hand menu to find your way around.