Green design is smart design. Green Building refers to the practice of reducing buildings negative impact on human health and the environment by focusing on better design, construction techniques and materials use. The focus of green building is to design a project to work in harmony with nature and to use materials that are sustainably grown or recycled rather than from non-renewable resources. This socially responsible approach to design is growing in popularity and can lead to the added benefits of reduced costs by minimizing the costs of maintenance and producing less waste in construction.

In recent years the deck building industry has been increasingly responsive to the voices of environmental concern. The introduction and improvement of composite decking technology which is principally composed of recycled plastics has gone a long way to reduce the need for wood in deck construction and keeps a substantial amount of solid waste from being tossed into the land fill. The U.S. Green Building Council’s website www.usgbc.org is a great resource on the topic of green building. The Earth’s population is growing dramatically; our fingerprint is sweeping across the lands and seas. It is important that each individual does his or her part to protect our precious resources for future generations to enjoy.