Sustainability
Geosynthetics beneficially improve the sustainability of infrastructure. They extend road service lives, reduce the dependence on aggregates, conserve water resources, minimize land disturbance, control soil erosion, protect groundwater, etc.
The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) has been engaged with sustainability interests for much of the last decade, through publications, events, lectures, and member participation in high-level research. In 2018, IGS Vice President Dr. Natalie Touze delivered the quadrennial Giroud Lecture on connections between the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and geosynthetic materials in infrastructure. This watershed moment led the Society in 2019 to formalize its commitment to the promotion of sustainable development through the creation of a Sustainability Committee; to launch a Sustainability eBook in 2020 on the 50th Earth Day celebration; and to greatly expand the Sustainability Committee’s involvement in the IGS and the international engineering community in 2021.
Did You Know …?
Did You Know … #3: Geosynthetics help protect the environment from landfill waste contamination (PDF)
Did You Know … #2: Geosynthetics can greatly reduce the dependency on aggregates in infrastructure construction (PDF)
Did You Know … #1: How geosynthetics make significant contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (PDF)
Publications
Giroud Lecture
- Healing the World: A Geosynthetics Solution (Free access at Geosynthetics International)
Review Paper in Open-Access Journal Sustainability
IGS eBook on Geosynthetics & Sustainability
- Chinese Edition (PDF)
- English Edition (PDF)
- French Edition (PDF)
- Japanese Edition (PDF)
- Spanish Edition (PDF)
- Turkish Edition (PDF)
Videos
Geosynthetics for Sustainable Development
- Chinese (YouTube)
- English (YouTube)
- French (YouTube)
- German (YouTube)
- Italian (YouTube)
- Korean (YouTube)
- Portuguese (YouTube)
Dr. Nathalie Touze’s Giroud Lecture
- Healing the World: A Geosynthetics Solution (IGS video story)
Education Opportunities
Conferences
- EuroGeo 7: The 7th European Regional Conference on Geosynthetics
Includes special session on Sustainability
19 – 22 September 2021, Warsaw - GeoAsia 7: The 7th Asian Regional Conference on Geosynthetics
Hazard’s Risk Management, Innovation, and Sustainability
11 – 15 April 2022, Taipei - GeoAfrica 2023: The 4th African Regional Conference on Geosynthetics
Geosynthetics in Sustainable Infrastructures and Mega Projects
20 – 23 February 2023, Cairo - The 12th International Conference on Geosynthetics
Geosynthetics: Leading the Way to a Resilient Planet
17 – 21 September 2023, Rome
Additional Sustainability Resources
The following links will take users to other sites. The IGS is not responsible for the content on those websites or their differing privacy settings, cookies, and terms of use.
- European Association of Geosynthetic Manufacturers (EAGM) – Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) Benefits of Geosynthetics (webpage)
- Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) White Paper #41 (PDF)
Relative Sustainability (i.e., Embodied Carbon) Calculations With Respect to Applications Using Traditional Materials Versus Geosynthetics - Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) White Paper #44 (PDF)
Relative Sustainability of Road Construction/Repair:
Conventional Materials versus Geosynthetic Materials - United Nations Sustainability Goals (webpage)
IGS Sustainability Committee
If you would like to participate with the IGS Sustainability Committee, contact the IGS! Email: IGSsec@GeosyntheticsSociety.org
Not an IGS member yet? Joining is easy.
