Greenwash of Week
"Because a concrete masonry unit is 80 percent air by volume and is composed of 90% plentiful inert material, it has naturally low-embodied energy. It is already an ecologically sound building component." Brochure for Pixel Blocks, a new decorative concrete masonry unit.
First, the math doesn't make sense. Unless the air is included as part of the inert material, the total of the air and the "inert material" would be 170 percent.
More, in California, where the brochure was distributed, CMU is usually filled with mortar, so the product as used has only a small air content within the concrete's voids.
Next, I can't imagine what part of a CMU is not inert. I have watched cured concrete, and it usually just stays in one place and is not very chemically reactive. Are they referring to calcium hydroxide that can form akaline deposits on the surface of concrete?
Finally, the brochure does not address the real ecological footprint of the product -- both detriments like the high CO2 emissions associated with portland cement, and positive features like the durability of the product.
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3 comments:
Spooky; this is the type of bad marketing material that makes me want to hang my head in shame as a product representative and salesperson
Dear Anonymous,
There is no need to feel shame. Some people in sales are not given discretion about what to say; they are trained to repeat a prescribed script verbatim. Building product sales reps, however, are generally sales professional, with wide latitude to modify their presentations to respond to the unique needs of individual design professionals or contractors.
There are plenty of good things to say about the environmental performance of CMU, for example. Educate yourself, and then educate your customers. (Do be careful, however, to not extend expressed warranties that your principal will not back up.)
Then, help educate the manufacturer; most value feedback from the field.
Interesting article. Companies will go to great length these days to make their products sound "green" in some way. I work for McGraw-Hill and their directory of unit masonry products and ideas is a great resource for people looking for more environmentally friendly building materials than the classic CMU.
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