Building…Without Plastics
We're digging a little deeper into how to build healthy homes, not toxic boxes. One of the major questions we had was do we know all of the chemicals going into our built environment and the impact those chemicals have on human health?
This month we're focusing on plastics.
Their versatility and inexpensiveness has led to their widespread use, and in construction it's hard to build any home without touching plastics, whether it be in the floor, wall, furniture, countertops, or finishes such as paints and varnishes.
Globally, the construction industry consumes about 20% of all plastics produced and about 70% of all PVCs.
And here in New Zealand, according to Health Based Building, it's estimated that the average home has around 500 kg of plastics put into it. That's about 25,000 tonnes of plastic installed in New Zealand homes per year. And that's not including the plastics associated with the ordering of building supplies such as packaging or wrapping materials.
Just by looking at the sheer volume of plastics involved in the construction industry is a call for concern. However, there are also many health issues involved with construction plastics as well.
It's not necessarily the polymers themselves (with the exception of some such as PVC which is a known carcinogenic), it's more often the additives, fillers and other chemicals added during the manufacturing, often referred to as novel entities, that pose a risk to human health as well as planetary degredation.
Chemicals to watch out for include phthalate plasticizers, which are proven endocrine disruptors; some flame retardants used in furniture textiles linked to neurotoxicity in children; and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as forever chemicals, linked to adverse health impacts such as fertility issues, obesity and cancers.
Known ways that these can migrate into humans is through skin absorption or inhalation, whether this be from microplastics or volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
In a closed environment, such as a house or a room, the latter is a major contributor to indoor air pollution and poor health outcomes. Bioplastics and recycled plastics are not exempt or better alternatives as they also require additives to meet the performance requirements. In some cases, the toxicity in recycled plastics is even more concerning and harder to trace.
The answer to better health lies in less plastics.
So what to do? First and foremost, refuse. Ask yourself, do I really need this bit of plastic in my build? If yes, the next step is to see if there is an alternative product available.
Some great work has been done in this area and the Better Building Working Group and suppliers are always there to help you if you have questions.
A really handy resource is the Red List provided by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) which contains an up-to-date list of chemicals that should be avoided at all costs. They also have a website listing all of the products that are free from these harmful chemicals under the Declare label with a dropdown option to easily find materials specific to New Zealand.
Wao and the Better Building Working Group are committed to helping the Southern Lakes building sector lead the way in sustainability practices. Find out more in one of our workshops or at the next Tradie Breakfast. Resources are available on our website to help make the right choice.
Feel free to reach out to BBWG at betterbuilding@wao.co.nz if you want to learn more about this or if you have any questions.
