The environmentalist’s guide to paving
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Taking or manufacturing any stone and moving it from its source to another location will have an impact on the environment. Paving is everywhere in our towns and cities and is in many ways the very heart and soul of the places where we live and work.
Paving is clean, practical and can look pretty when sensitively constructed within its surrounding environment. As natural stone weathers, it becomes aesthetically pleasing – it is also very durable and if properly maintained can last for centuries.
There is no doubting the significance of the role that paving has played in our history and the importance of the role it continues to play today. It is however more important now than ever to consider the environmental implications for this industry.
Sourcing the Stone
There are a number of environmental and ethical issues to consider when buying pavement stone that has been imported from some of the developing nations. Take Indian sandstone for example – popular because of its quality and price, it is quite often quarried by children as young as ten, working in very poor and inhumane conditions.
This is before considering the environmental impact of spoiling the landscape through illegal dumping, polluted groundwater, and the significant energy consumption of transporting the stone half way around the world.
When buying paving it really is worth taking the time to research how and where the stone was sourced before making a decision about whether to use it.
Getting the Right Balance
It isn’t just the extraction site that becomes damaged – heavily concreted areas don’t support wildlife and often result in vegetation being removed. This prevents water from seeping into the soil naturally and recharging groundwater supplies. Paved surfaces also increase the speed and amount of water that rushes down gutters and into storm drains during a rain storm which can lead to flooding.
Allowing for some vegetation, planting some trees or plants and having some green areas where possible is a simple and effective solution to this. By using permeable paving blocks and permeable grass grids for hard standings you can reduce the environmental damage when paving over an area.
Like most environmental issues when it comes to paving it’s all about having the right information in order to make informed choices.
Bomax carry out rigorous checks to ensure that all of our materials and products are sourced ethically.