Advantages
Why not save money and prevent future problems and choose and install building materials that are safe? There is no specific route to success with building materials.
You should judge by how well they stand up in regards of performance?
Will they do well for that specific Job?
What unexpected result might occur from each alternative building material?
Consider safety, such as off-gassing of glues from composite building materials and potential radon emissions of some rock or earth based materials.
What toxic effects might be associated with each alternative building material?
Lead in paint was great as an inhibitor of mildew (before its use was banned), but also that lead is linked with blood and bone cancers.
What waste streams are associated with the manufacture of alternative building materials?
How recyclable will the material be at the end of its useful life?
Savings
What and how you use to evaluate costs and advantages is crucial. The building trades focus on initial cost, and increasingly groups (like the American Institute of Architects) promote broader and more systematic thinking about true life-cycle costs and advantages.
More information on this topic
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Environmentally Friendly Design
Rocky Mountain Institute - Environmentally Friendly Building Materials
FacilitiesNet - Low-VOC Paints are More Than Just "Green"
BuildingGreen.com - Getting the "Right Stuff": A Guide to Green Building Materials Retailers
