Greening the Construction Materials

Frequently, Green Production has become an inevitable requirement of countries and territories that why can adapt to climate change. Simultaneously, this is also the goal of the world: to develop sustainably.

Vietnam has implemented laws and regulations in the past decade to encourage green production, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve resources, and promote development while protecting the environment. The construction materials sector is also involved in green and circular participation plans, leading to the rise of numerous green structures in Vietnam.

Vietnam's rapid urbanisation rate, involving 80-90 million m² of annual construction, has led to environmental pollution due to the use of traditional materials, depleting natural resources, and producing hazardous waste and difficult-to-recycle construction waste.

Terracotta bricks, used in construction projects, require 75 hectares of land and 150,000 tons of coal to mine, releasing nearly 0.6 million tons of carbon into the environment. This trend towards sustainable development, which includes the goal of Vietnam's construction materials manufacturing industry, is driven by the need for green materials in construction.

The Ministry of Construction is encouraging the use of green construction materials in Dong Nai and other provinces and cities to reduce electricity consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) and water resources and improve living spaces. Many factories are investing in technology to produce green materials, using unburnt bricks and waste from other industries. This approach saves resources and reduces industrial waste treatment costs.

Experts suggest that if half of construction projects use unburnt bricks, 20 million tons of industrial waste will be saved, saving 1,000 hectares of agricultural land and hundreds of hectares of waste storage land. However, green materials production faces policy barriers, and businesses are not yet encouraged to invest boldly. Clearing these barriers and establishing connections between the Construction Materials industry and architects can help create eco-friendly green buildings.

Source: Vietnam cement industry report, "Step by step greening the Construction Materials industry", posted on May 6, 2024, see link: https://ximang.vn/phat-trien-ben-vung/nang-suat-xanh/tung-buoc-xanh-hoa-nganh-vat-lieu-xay-dung-19294.htm, accessed May 28, 2024