Setting the environmental pace The environmental impact of products and services in the construction sector is being increasingly scrutinised and manufacturers and installers need to pay closer attention to sustainable sourcing. Certification to ISO 14001 is now the norm and aspirational environmental good practice and improvement is commonplace. But now customers are increasingly looking to measure the environmental impact of individual products. So how can customers and environmental managers assess which products best suit their environmental agenda? Here, Optima’s Technical Manager Peter Long explains the importance of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) when comparing the environmental performance of glass partitions. How to effectively compare the environmental performance of glass partitions Many products come with claims or statements about environmental impact and sustainable sourcing, but these are often based on generic modelling or have no measured foundation at all. The way to provide a factual description of environmental performance is with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). This enables manufacturers to substantiate marketing claims with credible data and allows customers to make direct comparisons of environmental performance between products. The factual data contained within an EPD comes from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and is produced in accordance with ISO 14025:2006 Environmental Labels and Declarations -Type III Environmental Declarations – Principles and Procedure. Accredited, independent third parties carry out the verification process. The data presented in an EPD is set out in a standard format so it simplifies the comparison process for customers and removes the need for them to interpret different kinds of LCA, or data purporting to be an LCA. Leading the way with our Environmental Product Declarations Optima has always strived to be at the forefront of the sustainable and environmental agenda within the partitioning industry and we are proud to lead the way again by announcing the publication of ten Environmental Product Declarations. Download Environmental product declarations These EPDs have been produced in accordance with the Product Category Rules (PCR) laid down in BS EN 15804:2012+A1:2013 Sustainability of Construction Works – Environmental Product Declarations. Core rules for the product category of construction products and are published through both International EPD® System and ECO Platform. Customers and developers using the principle sustainability methodologies of BREEAM, Ska and LEED will appreciate the value that a product holding an EPD can have in achieving their target performance criteria. When working to Ska Offices 1.2 – Good Practice Measures for Offices, an Optima EPD will provide qualification for measures M09 – Glazed Partitions and M17 – Doors. For BREEAM projects the Optima EPD can contribute to credits under Mat 01 Environmental Impact of Materials. Where projects are working towards LEED v4 certification, the Optima EPD may contribute towards points against Materials & Resources credit MRc2 Building Product Disclosure and Optimisation – Environmental Product Declarations. Glass partitions with EPD: summary We’ve made giant strides in obtaining these Environmental Product Declarations, but the hard work is only just beginning. The data gathered in producing the Life Cycle Assessment enables us to see in detail what our impact on the environment is, and where we can improve. We will continue to develop innovative new glazed partitioning systems with an increasing focus on sustainable and renewable sources. If you found this article useful then take a look at some of Peter’s other blog posts: How Good Understanding Can Lead to Sound Specification An Essential Tip for Specifiers when Comparing Acoustic Glass Partitions What Affects the On-Site Performance of Glass Partitions
