Buy Locally, Build Locally
Use of local materials can be a good way to help make a construction project greener. If the materials being used don’t need to be transported from great distances, there is less embodied energy in the transportation of the materials, and thereby the production of those materials has less environmental impact. Of course, there are trade-offs, as this is only one factor in the overall evaluation. Does it make more sense to use a locally produced material if the manufacture has a high level of embodied energy, or would it be better to use a lower embodied energy material that comes from farther away and has higher transportation costs (both financially and environmentally)?
