The Five Sustainability Benefits of Natural Stone

When it comes to green construction, natural stone is a true MVP when it comes to sustainability. There are five key benefits that make natural stone an exceptional choice for environmentally-conscious architects and builders:

1. Natural stone is in it for the long haul – we’re talking unparalleled lifetime performance that minimizes replacement and waste. Reduced landfill contributions earn major sustainability points.

2. With dramatically lower embodied carbon than competing materials, natural stone effectively slashes the carbon footprints of buildings and spaces.

3. Indoor air quality is a growing health concern – but zero VOC emissions make natural stone a breath of fresh air. You can confidently specify natural stone without emission or off-gassing worries.

4. On the materials conservation front, natural stone can be effectively reused in new buildings, and still end its life as recyclable content. It’s a win-win!

5. Finally, efficiency and reduced operational energy losses via high thermal mass and low maintenance requirements drive significant performance dividends.

When integrated holistically, natural stone delivers durable, ethical sourcing, lower carbon, better wellness, less waste, AND energy productivity – making it a high-value sustainable building material that walks the walk.

LEED V4.1 Standards For Green Buildings

At Polycor, sustainability is integral across our natural stone operations, upholding principles of environmental stewardship and resource efficiency aligning with LEED v4.1 standards for green buildings. The most widely used green building rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council®, the LEED® green building program provides a framework for healthy, efficient, and cost-saving buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement, and it is backed by an entire industry of committed organizations and people. Polycor’s natural stone products contribute across four key LEED credit categories – Sustainable Sites, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

Sustainable Sites

Our stone’s high solar reflectance index (SRI) enables Heat Island Reduction under Option 1 Nonroof and Roof surfaces. By mitigating heat absorption, Polycor products with light coloration and SR values over 0.33 facilitate credits toward Heat Island Reduction.

Energy & Atmosphere

The thermal mass properties of natural stone boost energy performance. Projects using natural stone are better equipped to meet the Minimum Energy Performance prerequisite and obtain points under Optimize Energy Performance.

Materials & Resources

Polycor has published transparent third-party verified Type III EPDs disclosing the environmental impacts of our stone across its full lifecycle. This aids in LEED requirements around Material Transparency and Environmental Product Declarations. Polycor EPDs are currently available for the following applications: 

• Facades, cladding and walls
• Floors and pavers
• Countertops

Our stone also reduces embodied carbon substantially compared to alternative building materials, supporting option 2 of the Building Life-Cycle Impact credit. We meet extraction standards like ANSI/NSI 373 that echo LEED priorities around responsible raw material sourcing.

Indoor Environmental Quality

As an inherently non-emitting material with no VOCs, Polycor natural stone complies with LEED v4’s strict low-emitting material standards. Our stone facilitates relevant flooring and wall panel credits under LEED’s Indoor Environmental Quality category.

By contributing across key LEED areas, Polycor stone enables architects, builders, and project teams to achieve green building certification goals with beautiful, sustainable natural stone products.

Leaving A Better World To Future Generations

Sustainability is woven into Polycor’s DNA. From the quarry to delivery, we go the extra mile to reduce our environmental impact across the board. Our commitment to sustainability permeates all levels of the organization and is evident through our clearly defined goals and rigorous implementation of environmentally responsible practices.

Most notably, we have set an ambitious target to achieve carbon neutrality by the end of 2025, for Scope 1 and 2, across the entirety of our operations. This top-level objective underscores the priority of environmental stewardship and corporate responsibility at Polycor. To realize decarbonization, we have devised a comprehensive plan centered on improving energy efficiency, transitioning to electric vehicles, integrating renewable energy sources, and offsetting any residual greenhouse gas emissions that cannot be avoided through dedicated initiatives such as our forest management plans.

Additionally, 14 Polycor quarry sites have obtained third-party validated NSI-373 certification, the leading standard for sustainable natural stone management. This extensive external auditing process examines and verifies the employment of responsible quarrying and processing methods that mitigate environmental harm.

A core tenet of Polycor’s sustainability platform is advocating for the use of natural stone, which carries significantly lower embodied carbon compared to alternative building materials. By providing an inherently low-carbon solution, we empower partners and customers to meet the owner’s project requirements and carbon reduction goals.

Taken collectively, Polycor’s multidimensional and earnest sustainability program conveys our authentic commitment, backed by ambitious goals and tangible action. This degree of purposeful dedication warrants confidence that Polycor takes sustainability seriously rather than engaging in duplicitous greenwashing.

Specifying Polycor means specifying peace of mind. Discover how Polycor can bring credibility to your next LEED v4 project.