Climate change is an ever more relevant fact of life for those of us heading into 2022. Last year saw numerous records broken on the temperature front as humans continue to drain the earth of its natural resources, overloading it and causing extreme damage to the planet we live on.

Amid this looming worldwide catastrophe, the average person must continue to go about their life healthily, balancing efficiency, resourcefulness and care for the planet.

Our gardens are no exception. Whatever work we do to maintain them, we all have an increasingly vital role in doing that work in an environmentally-friendly way.

When it comes to laying a new patio, here are a few tips you could follow to do your bit for the environment. This article will explore the advantages offered by resin patios and why it’s more eco-friendly than many alternatives.

How resin patios are eco-friendly

The main advantage to the environment comes from the well-advertised permeable quality of resin-bound patios.

A permeable material allows liquids (or gases) to pass through it. In the case of patio surfacing, we’re primarily talking about water.

This prevents surface flooding and therefore means you don’t have to worry about slippiness or foul smells from stagnant water on your patio. More importantly, though, it also helps balance the overall water table in your area.

Let’s explain how this works by talking about SUDS compliance.

What is SUDS compliance?

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, known as SUDS, are a way of building drainage systems to account for the natural water cycle (rather than forcing it to be different). Being kind to the environment means being kind to ourselves, too.

When something is constructed or installed to be SUDS compliant, it focuses on reducing the overall impact of water on an area’s water table.

So, for example, resin-bound patios are SUDS compliant. They allow water to drain through at a controlled rate – quickly but not out of control.

 A SUDS example

Let’s assume the heavens open and the heaviest rainfall for 30 years (which would be quite something in old England) smashes down to the ground.

Without SUDS systems, the water will either pool or instantly head down into storm drains.

The pooling water will either go stagnant and start to harbour bacteria, or begin to drain with the rest of the downpour. As this sudden mass of water pours into the drains and sewers from all directions, the pipes will inevitably get overfilled. They all have a limited flow capacity rate. As a result, when they drain into rivers, they are likely to burst their banks, leading to flash flooding and the loss of habitat (for humans as well as creatures and plants).

How else do porous resin patios help the environment?

A permeable resin surface also helps the ecosystem as a whole by removing pollutants from the water.

For instance, when water lands on the road (which isn’t porous), it picks up dirt, debris and chemicals from the surface, such as rubber, oil, grease, tar, and so on. This water then carries them as it heads straight into a storm drain, down a sewer pipe and back out into the river.

The result is, of course, polluted water.

When it comes to permeable materials such as resin, though, the water drains down into the ground after picking the surface pollutants up. Here, it’s naturally filtered. By the time it reaches the rivers, it will have been reduced to pure water again.

How eco-friendly are resin patios overall?

The main benefit of a resin patio is how it positively affects the water table.

We can use a few techniques to reduce the environmental impact of making a resin-bound patio, too, such as using recycled stone.

Unfortunately, there’s currently no authentic way to make the entire production process carbon neutral. We’re doing what we can with what we have available right now. As technology advances, we’re confident that it’ll exist sometime in the near future.

For now, a resin-bound patio is arguably the best surfacing material you can use in your garden.

If you’re interested in a resin-bound patio and would like to learn more about how it can benefit the environment, you’d be very welcome to get in touch with us.

We can be contacted by email (sales@buffalodriveways.co.uk) or phone (01773 712288). Alternatively, you could fill out the form on our Contact page.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch – even if you’re only looking for a friendly chat at the moment! We won’t hold you to any guarantees but, of course, look forward to potentially working with you.