Copper – A Green Product
Being environmentally friendly is no longer a fashionable trend; with the growing information and knowledge about the import
ance of taking care of the environment, everyone is doing what they can to lessen their impact. One of the easiest ways to make a positive change is to use copper for your home or business needs.Why is copper so eco-friendly, or green?
- Copper is a naturally occurring mineral
- A long lifecycle means that there is no need to replace copper fixtures or components, so waste is minimized
- Copper is fully recyclable
- Recycling copper takes only 15% of the energy required to mine, mill, smelt, and refine new copper
- Copper can be recycled without losing integrity, allowing it to be re-used indefinitely
- 90% of scrap copper is recycled
- Copper is durable, standing up to the elements and normal wear and tear better than other materials.
Example: Roofing
To see exactly how green copper is, consider putting a roof on a home:
- A wooden roof requires, on average, three fully-grown cedar trees and may need to be replaced within 10 years.
- Composite roof tiles can take up to 300 years to decompose in a landfill.
- In contrast, a copper roof can last for a century or longer and made from tiles that use over 90% recycled copper. Copper is easier to install and withstands the elements better than nearly any other material.
Copper has been used and re-used for thousands of years, making it the most recycled material in history. If you are looking for an attractive, cost-conscious way to go green, choose copper for your home and business needs.