Sustainable Paving – Considering the Environment

We live on a planet threatened by pollution, climate change and countless other environmental concerns, so doing things the green way is more important than ever before. Choosing sustainable paving for your commercial or residential project is one way in which you can make a difference.

Thanks to SureSet, you do not need to look far for environmentally friendly paving options. Porous and made from sustainably and ethically sourced or recycled materials, our products have less of an impact on the environment than other options such as asphalt and concrete. Our mission is to provide the best options for you - and the planet.

Principles Of Sustainable Construction

Whether you’re paving a garden path, school playground or an office building’s car park, it makes sense to follow the principles of sustainable construction. Those principles aim to decrease the impact the project will have on the environment, not only during construction but for years to come.

To put those principles in practical terms, greener construction – and that includes options for sustainable paving – should:

• use recyclable and renewable resources
• protect nature rather than destroy it
• reduce the amount of energy consumed and waste produced
• result in an environment that’s earth-friendly

With this in mind, SureSet is the sensible option. To reference Joni Mitchell’s hit single Big Yellow Taxi, if you’re going to ‘pave paradise and put up a parking lot’ choose sustainable paving to do it.

The Case Against Asphalt And Concrete

If you take a drive or a walk through every village, town and city in Britain today and take note of the paving in various spaces and places, you’re likely to see more asphalt and concrete than environmentally friendly paving options. Those materials have their advocates who claim they’re environmentally friendly, but that’s not entirely true.

Firstly, asphalt and concrete deplete resources significantly when they’re being produced. Asphalt is petroleum-based and concrete uses manufactured cement as well as sand and rock. No matter how you look at it, both materials require a great deal of energy. SureSet, on the other hand, uses natural aggregate, marble, or recycled glass or other materials and clear resin. 

         

When considering sustainability, water pollution is another reason that non-porous paving is not the best option. If a paving material is not porous, water flows over it rather than passing through it into the ground, or into a water-harvesting system below. Run-off from a non-porous asphalt or concrete is likely to become polluted – and that polluted water eventually makes its way via drainage systems to rivers and the ocean. In contrast, SureSet’s porous sustainable paving allows rainwater to drain through it, which minimises run-off, decreases the chances of flooding and contributes to a healthy water table or, if set up for it, water harvesting and storage. 

Air pollution is the third reason why asphalt and concrete are not environmentally friendly paving options. As mentioned, asphalt is a product of the petroleum industry, and the production process emits large amounts of harmful gas. Likewise, the cement production process also generates significant emissions of volatile organic compounds. SureSet’s impact, in terms of air pollution, is minimal when compared with asphalt and concrete, which makes it an excellent choice if you want sustainable paving for your project.

Environmental Benefits Of SureSet

SureSet is one of the most reliable options for sustainable paving available in Britain. Whether used for residential or commercial paving, our products offer various benefits.

Our porous resin-bound paving reduces puddles and contributes to flood prevention (and that includes minimising the chances of flash flooding). This also means rainwater is exposed to fewer pollutants such as heavy metals and oils. 

If SureSet is laid on a conventional base, the water that drains through it can be discharged into drains or soak-aways if it is not harvested and put to other uses such as irrigation. SureSet’s ability to prevent the growth of weeds, as well as its 21-year guarantee and relatively easy maintenance requirements, means that cost of maintaining it in top condition is minimal. This is in keeping with the principles of sustainable paving.

Used for residential driveways, SureSet offers benefits such as durability and the absence of loose stones, which you’ll also find with our products for pathway and patio paving. Those benefits are evident in our commercial car park paving, which is Sustainable urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) compliant. Other benefits of the commercial car park paving are that it can incorporate external works and hard landscape designs, and it can be laid over a base of crushed rock, asphalt, concrete, or our own SureCell.

SureSet also offers creative options for sustainable paving. It is available in an array of colours, and it offers all the benefits of natural aggregate such as marble used for other projects. However, it’s also an environmentally friendly paving option because the aggregate used is recycled glass. Our PlayBound product is an alternative option for creative paving. Instead of using recycled glass as an aggregate, it uses coloured rubber granules.

Whether you consider our commercial, leisure or housing paving options, you’ll find that they benefit the immediate environment, are durable, and cost-effective.

A Commitment To The Environment

SureSet has been committed to offering environmentally friendly paving options since the company launched in 1997. Over the years, we have refined our products and our approach to sustainable paving.

We are proud to offer our customers paving products that are effective, attractive, durable, and that offer room for creativity.

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