To know what materials are sustainable is not an immediately easy task. It requires us to ask ourselves and our suppliers a few probing questions. Further, what is sustainable today may not be so tomorrow.
To investigate if marble is considered a sustainable material in Malaysia, we should ask ourselves these questions:-
Where did it come from? If it was extracted from limestone hills such as that shown in the photograph below, which means, its extraction would cause the destruction of a delicate limestone ecosystem – then, I would say - not sustainable. Limestone hills are critical ecosystems. Besides the multitude of unique flora and fauna that live on it, it also is the natural home to bats. Bats are the main pollinators of fruit trees – one no less kingly than the durian. And they keep the insect population in check as well. Some marble may be quarried from underground sources, instead of land outcrops like hills. Then we must find out if the land above was part of or supports a sensitive ecosystem.
How much energy was used in producing it? A common measurement used nowadays to measure and compare sustainable materials and practices - the carbon footprint. Marble imported from Italy with substantial effort to transport it over the seas may be less sustainable that that sourced locally and sustainably from non-sensitive areas with minimal impact on eco-systems.
Are there alternatives? Marble are aesthetic add-ons to a house. It is hardy and easy to maintain when used on kitchen tables or tops. OK, noted. But we should always ask ourselves if there are suitable and more sustainable alternatives? Ceramic tiles (source being clay from the ground) or wood from sustainable forests could be good alternatives.
The last point sometimes puts us in a bind. At times, we have no choice but to use an unsustainable material simply because no alternative is available. For example - cement. In Malaysia, cement or concrete are made from aggregates (stones) predominantly extracted from limestone hills. But there is no other better and affordable material (at the moment) as an alternative. Concrete / cement manufacturers are nevertheless applying more research into the production and mix to make cement / concrete more sustainable. Hence, we should support such companies by buying from them. Of course, one can also build a house entirely from wood, but then we still need to pave the road!
As industries progress and try to improve their processes to meet customers demand for more sustainable products, the criteria of what is sustainable and what is not, may change again. Therefore, as consumers we have an important role to play. Ask your supplier these tough questions - He or she may not have the answer, but ask anyway because we need to send the message back to the producers that we all need to be more responsible when we use our Earth's limited natural resource.
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