When one looks at EPS and OSB the word green isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind. The reality is that at ecosips we have chosen these products carefully in order to find a balance of durability, recyclability and affordability. We are constantly looking to improve our product but are bound by the time it takes to develop and structurally test new types of skins and cores.

 

EPS foam is one of the only foams that can be effectively recycled and all of our foam scraps are sent back to the manufacturer in order to be recycled. We actually end up buying some of our waste foam back in the form of underslab foam which has a regrind content. OSB comes from fast growing sustainably farmed trees and waste wood products saving large old growth trees from being harvested to make dimensional lumber. Our panels save as much as 70% dimensional lumber from building a house.

 

The construction, maintenance and demolition of buildings in Canada, the US and in all industrial nations, consumes an overbearing amount of raw energy, fossil fuel and other valuable natural resources.

 

In all industrial nations, buildings account for:

• 65% of all electricity consumption!
• 30% of all raw materials used!
• 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions!

The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average North American home releases 22,000 lbs of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere each year! That is twice the amount of the average vehicle.

By reducing the amount of energy used for heating and cooling, SIP’s can significantly cut the emissions produced by our homes and commercial buildings.

 

Building ‘green’ is incredibly important for the protection of our ecosystems, for the maintenance and assurance of our future access to safe air and water quality, for the conservation of renewable and non-renewable natural resources, and to assure the safety of our nation's security, by averting a future of unacceptable natural resource warfare.

Less energy spent in construction of buildings means less dependence on imported petroleum products. Energy and water efficient buildings have lower operating costs. Green buildings cost the same initially but save us money year after year, help save our planet from greenhouse gases and loss of non renewable resources and reward us with greater comfort, greater peace of mind and at the end of our home ownership…higher appraisal values.