The construction industry has been witnessing some great changes in recent times. Needless to say, most of these changes are driven by the advantages of technology. Today, hi-tech equipment are being used for different activities, advanced building methods are being employed to develop durable structures and workers are able to work in a safe and secured environment, all thanks to technology. However, there is a remarkable change which is not purely driven by technology but by the changing attitude of the society. We are all aware of the fact that we as a society have realized the pressure we have been putting on our environment and have also started facing the consequences induced by unforeseen climatic changes. This realization has led several industries to mend their ways and embrace environmentally sustainable methodologies. It is evident in the construction industry in the form of increasing usage of environment-friendly green building materials.

It all started with the major players of the construction industry undertaking wonderful green initiatives. Their positive actions have influenced almost every small and medium player of the construction industry to follow suit. Undoubtedly, the demand for green building materials has gone up in the last few years. The use of plastics and timber has dramatically gone down in modern construction and have been replaced by the use of steel, reclaimed wood and certain innovative materials such as cork and bamboo. If you are wondering whether this paradigm shift has resulted in compromise with the quality of the construction, then you are wrong. In fact, the use of green materials such as steel and reclaimed wood has increased the value of constructions manifold.

It is to be noted here that the steel industry is considered one of the pioneers of sustainable manufacturing. The steel which is produced in the factories today can be used for long term construction and puts less pressure on the environment. Moreover, the methods which are being used for the production of steel also undergo stringent quality control in order to eliminate any kind of wastage. So, it can be said that sustainable manufacturing and sustainable construction are going hand in hand, each complementing the other through demand and supply cycles.

Another good aspect of the current situation is that the governments all around the world are highly interested in promoting sustainable manufacturing of building materials and the green initiatives undertaken by the construction industry. To make things easier, governments of almost every major country are providing subsidies to enterprises who follow the norms of sustainability by the book and are also taking care of the supply chain of sustainable raw materials as well as finished products.