Sustainable buildings are designed to be energy efficient, water efficient, and resource efficient. Clay brick is able to withstand the effects of nature with minimal damage. Sustainable buildings are designed in a way that uses available resources efficiently and in a responsible manner, balancing environmental, societal and economic impacts to meet the design intents of today while considering future effects.
There are reasons why there is a vibrant salvage market for brick, but not one for fiber cement, vinyl siding, and other synthetic materials. Unlike fake materials that are engineered and altered to look like something they're not, brick is made from some of Earth’s most abundant and natural materials.
Brick is also the only building product that is 100% recyclable as it can be either salvaged and reinstalled on other buildings and homes, as they are built or are renovated. Clay brick can also be crushed for sub-base materials or chipped brick for permanent landscaping mulch. Not only is brick low maintenance, but it has an unbeatable fire-rating and is durable enough to last generations. In high-wind events, homes built with brick offer dramatically more protection from wind-borne debris than homes built with vinyl or fiber cement siding.
Learn more about the benefits sustainable clay brick designs and ways that brick masonry walls and paving systems can be used toward earning points in the LEED and other green building rating systems by reading Technical Note 48 below.
Sustainability Tech Note 48
Learn about a program where brick manufacturers can attain certification for the amount of recycled content in their brick products in our Brick Brief covering Recycled Content in Green Building Rating Systems below.
Brick Brief
Brick is one of the few materials that building codes allow to be reused in a building application when it meets the ASTM standard for clay brick. Consequently, salvaged bricks are in high demand and represent a vibrant market. It is easy to see why brick makes such a compelling case for sustainability.
In 2020, BIA launched an industry-wide clay brick Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). This EPD provides evidence of clay brick's sustainable benefits and allows designers to further recognize clay brick's role as a major element in sustainable design and construction.
For a list of participating brick manufacturers and more information, please see the full EPD here.
BIA's Environmental Policy Statement