Building with straw bale, sand bags, rammed earth or cob are all environmentally friendly possibilities, but as these materials fall outside of the NHBRC’s ambit, obtaining a bond is not an option.

Thus home builders are restricted to building with either brick or timber, both of which – particularly clay brick – carry a high CO2 load. But there is a middle way. Cape Brick produces concrete masonry products from recycled materials that comply with home financing regulations.