Eco hierarchy

 **FIRST STEPS: Life and Use stage ** **Step 1: Energy Use **– will the material have a measurable impact on building’s energy use? **Step 2: My Health ** – might this product affect the health of building occupants? **Step 3: Durability and Maintenance **// – //will this product need replacement, treatment (e.g. paint or preservatives) or repair multiple times in life of the structure? **NEXT STEPS: Manufacturing Stage ** **Step 4: Hazardous By-Products **– are significant toxic substances created during manufacture of this? **Step 5: Energy Use ** – how energy intensive is the manufacturing process (high or low //embodied energy//)? **Step 6: Waste from Manufacturing **– how much solid waste is generated during manufacturing or assembly? **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">FURTHER STEPS: Raw Materials Extraction ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Step 7: Resource Limitations – **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> are any of the component materials from scarce or endangered resources? **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Step 8: Impacts of Resource Extraction **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> – are there significant eco-impacts from the process of mining or harvesting the raw materials, before manufacturing? **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">from each stage? ** |||| **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">What building material choices most affect these stages? ** || Extraction of raw materials || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">e.g. ecosystem damage from mining of ores ** |||| **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">e.g. copper used in wires and plumbing; lead flashing on roof. ** || |||| **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">e.g. dioxins from PVC manufacture, is also from petro-chemicals. ** || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Durable inert plastic for window frames, spouting and underground water pipes. ** || || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">e.g. preservative-treated timber off-cuts contain toxins: don’t burn wood or mulch with sawdust. ** |||| **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Extent of timber preservative required and what is used. ‘Ground treated’ is most toxic ** || || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">e.g. walls that will leak heat (low ‘R’ value) require more fuel burning or electricity to keep house warm ** |||| **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Insulation materials and ‘thermal mass’ to retain useful warmth. ** || || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">e.g. sending materials to landfill requires transport energy, and may pollute waterways. ** |||| Re-use of demolition materials ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 29pt;">Eco hierarchy **
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Life cycle stage of the building ** || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">What are the main environmental impacts **
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Production and manufacturing **
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Construction of building **
 * Life and use of the building
 * Demolition and recycling