The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines sustainable construction as “the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance.” Construction requires a large amount of materials and energy to build and maintain the structure, not to mention the amount of emissions and waste that is generated over the building’s life span. Construction projects don’t have to be this way though. There are many opportunities throughout the construction process to utilize more sustainable, environmentally friendly materials and practices. continue