Green Buildings: 8 Vital Characteristics & Ideas

Sources suggest that green buildings reduce maintenance costs by over 10%…

Sustainability is a growing discussion topic in many sectors, but none can be as noteworthy as with buildings and facilities. To highlight this, a 2023 piece by the Facilities Management Journal (FMJ) suggested that occupier demand for sustainable businesses has risen in the UK. Moreover, a 2023 report by RICS further reiterates this trend, with over 60% of professional respondents seeing a rise in occupier appetite for sustainable facilities.

But that’s not all, a 2024 report by the NBS revealed further related figures. Among which, sustainability targets are now included in 70% of construction projects. Furthermore, 43% of industry professionals reported achieving their sustainability goals in 2023, compared to 33% in 2022. Additionally, the number of net zero projects increased by 13% compared to the previous year. These figures further suggest a positive trajectory in the sector.

Despite their increased popularity, what exactly are green buildings? As a recycling brand, we are committed to making facilities more sustainable. We wanted to provide readers with a foundation for sustainable building and renovation ideas to encourage the practice.

In this article, we will go through what green buildings are, why they are good for business and the planet, as well as provide some key characteristics and related initiatives our facilities have introduced to work towards this status.

What are Green Buildings?

Green buildings are facilities that take active measures to minimise their environmental footprint while simultaneously improving the health and well-being of those who occupy them. This is done through a variety of resource-efficient approaches to a building’s lifecycle.

Why are Green Buildings Important?

This concept has gained significant attention in recent decades as a response to the pressing challenges of climate change and resource depletion.

It is especially important to think of environmental sustainability in the context of buildings and construction, as even the latest government figures suggest that its related activities are some of the greatest contributors to Britain’s waste output. In 2020, construction, demolition and excavation activities accounted for the majority of UK waste, at 61%. With this figure in mind, it is needless to say that there is a strong incentive to find long-lasting and resource-efficient solutions for future buildings.

Moreover, after completion, current figures show that they have a higher resource efficiency. The World Green Building Council reports that green buildings in the US are shown to use around 25% less energy than their traditional counterparts. With that being said, their resource efficiency suggests a case for their benefits to business as well.

Green Buildings are Good for Business

While the environmental benefits of such initiatives are evident, there is a growing business case for making it a standard practice. Firstly, sources generally suggest higher costs to set up, at an average of 6.5% more to deliver, according to a piece by EDC. However, that additional cost is offset by significant long-term savings. Sources such as WINT suggest that maintenance costs can be reduced by about 12%. These savings, coupled with decreased energy consumption, can generate significant financial returns, potentially reaching 40% over the building’s lifespan.

Aside from the aforementioned cost efficiencies, a 2023 piece by JLL further indicates that environmentally sustainable real estate tends to attract higher prices, achieving a typical premium value of over 20%. Lastly, it can be deducted from this finding that sustainability accreditations have proved to attract the largest and most prestigious clients as tenants, as they are more likely to prefer more sophisticated offices with a larger accreditation portfolio.

Green Building Characteristics and Ideas

There are a number of green building standards that can be used to assess the performance of buildings, such as LEED and BREEAM. As a sustainable recycler, we have modelled our net zero strategy in part to work towards these standards. While the key features of a green building may vary depending on the accreditation, we will list a selection of common characteristics, while linking them to our facility’s related sustainability efforts.

Sustainable Materials and Life Cycle Design Considerations

Considerations for the building’s materials and life cycle are critical for green buildings. As mentioned earlier, there is a strong incentive to find long-lasting and resource-efficient solutions for future buildings.

Since relocating to Bow in 2006, Bywaters decided to move to an existing building in Lea Riverside that can instead be renovated to minimise our carbon footprint, while being in line with our sustainability ethos.

Renewable Energy

The introduction of renewable energy is a critical aspect of embracing sustainable innovation. In order to power our operations, 4,000 solar panels were installed on the roof of our Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Generating up to 700MWh a year to help support our facility’s energy demands. Additionally, the use of renewable energy, such as solar panels, has been cited as a key opportunity to reduce the need for resources such as land.

In relation, our facility’s renewable energy use in that respect has been featured in a Channel 4 segment, which can be found here. We were especially proud of this appearance. As the government makes legally binding commitments to meet green targets, innovative solutions have to be made to make the best use of the resources we have.

Solar panels can be installed on already used surfaces, such as rooftops, to convert sunlight into electricity, subsequently lowering our carbon emissions. It has been a key initiative in our own net zero strategy, which can be found here.

Energy Efficiency

In relation, energy efficiency is another key part of green building design. It helps to reduce the amount of energy that buildings use, which can reduce a business’s costs and carbon footprint. There are many ways to improve energy efficiency in buildings, such as integrating renewable energy resources.

To minimise our necessary energy consumption, we replaced most lighting with LEDs throughout the facility, helping to use up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. Moreover, they last up to 25 times longer, reducing the relative amount of material waste generated at the end of the product’s lifecycle. Moreover, motion sensors were installed in certain areas to ensure lighting is turned off when an area is unattended.

Waste Reduction and Material Efficiency

As a recycler, waste reduction and material efficiency are central to all aspects of our operations. Our Dry Mixed Recycling tonnage alone has achieved over 75,000,000 kg of net avoided emissions in 2024. This figure is about the same amount of CO2e absorbed by 3,000,000 trees.

Aside from minimising the amount of waste sent to landfills, we focus on maximising the recovery of resources from non-recyclable materials. Through a specialised partnership, this material gets sent to WfI facilities, helping to power 144,000 homes across Britain. For every tonne recovered with us, 675.89 kWh of energy is produced.

Water Use Efficiency

Furthermore, water use is another frequent aspect that is addressed in green building accreditations, with accredited green facilities typically reducing its usage by 11%.

A common initiative regarding this is introducing rainwater harvesting means. In relation, we installed a 20,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank on site. In 2023, we collected 134,000 litres of rainwater, which we used to clean approximately 21,320 bins, more information about this part of our facility can be found in our Sustainability Report.

Location

Location is often regarded as an important aspect of planning a green building. By being closer to other economic activities and major public transport links, it is a decision that prevents extensive travelling and scope 3 emissions.

To address this, we believe that waste management and disposal should take place as close to the point of production as possible. By having our main recycling facility based in Zone 2, as close to central London as possible, we help reduce our stakeholder’s travel time and resulting emissions.

Emissions Reduction

Emissions reduction is a key characteristic of a green building. A key way we approach this is by ensuring that all our collection vehicles are low-emissions, hybrid or fully electric. This also helps to reduce our clients’ and stakeholders’ scope 3 emissions.

Healthier Inhabitants

From prioritising healthy ventilation to improved lighting, there are a multitude of possible ways for green buildings to improve the well-being of their tenants.

Alongside encouraging lower emissions, Bywaters has also introduced an expansive array of over 40 plants in the reception area, to support a healthier working space.

Conclusion

Depending on your preferred recognition, there are a multitude of ways in which a facility may be able to achieve the status of a green building. We hope that our list has been useful in demonstrating the many opportunities available to businesses to reduce their environmental impact.

To ensure a better tomorrow, it is up to every one of us to do our part in creating a more sustainable future. By making small changes in our daily lives, we can make a big difference in the fight against climate change.

You Made It This Far…

You’ve made it this far and learned a thing or two about our facilities. At Bywaters, we’re dedicated to building sustainable communities. By offering comprehensive recycling and circular solutions, we can improve our stakeholders’ eco-friendliness.

Whether you are a large venue or a small business, our services ensure that your waste is handled in an environmentally friendly manner, from its initial generation to its final disposal. If you are interested in working with us, contact us today.