IRONMONGERY
DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Sue Corrick from Allegion UK discusses sustainable door hardware, the increase of sustainable practices within the industry and the Environment Product Declaration programme.
T
he construction industry produces an incredible amount of waste. In 2014, the UK generated a total of 202.8 million tonnes of waste from Construction, Demolition and Excavation. Since then, decision makers including governments, manufacturers and consumers have decided that more sustainable practices are required to save our planet from ruin. Sue Corrick, product marketing manager at Allegion, says: “As a manufacturer of fire door safety products, we must comply to the relevant safety requirements prior to putting goods on the market - so why not enrol in compulsory environmental and sustainability programmes as well?
“At Allegion, one of our core values is “Do the Right Thing”, and as such, we are investing in product testing above and beyond the EN standard, as well as focusing on EPDs to ensure our products can endure a building’s life cycle,” she says.
The European Standards (EN) specifies the performance requirements and test methods to ascertain the durability, static strength, operating torque, corrosion and safety of products.
EPD are increasingly important in the construction sector, they contribute to credit in the BREEAM scheme used to evaluate the environmental credentials of buildings. They also being incorporated in BIM objects, enabling designers and architects to explore the total embedded of different options for a structure as they develop them. Corrick says: “Taking government plans towards sustainable procurement as an example, and alongside industry lobbying for changes towards enhanced testing, I believe sustainable practices will continue to progress - impacting the full supply chain, from manufacturers to the architects specifying products for their building.
“Already we can see the impact, where more and more, the demand for environmental certificates and documented testing evidence
Corrick explains that as a manufacturer, Allegion has a responsibility to compile the necessary information for an Environmental Product Declaration. From there, a third-party certification body reviews the information we have provided and verifies that the results are complete and accurate.
is pushing manufacturers to make investments towards sustainable practice.”
Research has shown that approximately 55% of extracted raw materials are used to develop the built environment with building further contributing to 40% of annual global carbon emissions.
It is clear that the cost of producing sustainable architectural ironmongery is a stumbling block for many people looking to purchase or even manufacture the products, especially in a cost-of-living crisis. Finding the right balance between keeping Just Stop Oil protestors off your back and not costing an arm and a leg is key.
Corrick adds that, with the government implementing sustainability focused taxes on businesses, such as the Plastic Packaging Tax, change is being forced for the better. “There is a greater onus on responsibility, and this is helping to ensure businesses throughout the entire global supply chain are doing the right thing, from the initial design and manufacturing stages right through to the transportation and packaging of goods.” If a company fails to register or register late regarding the Plastic Packaging Tax HMRC may charge a “failure to notify” penalty. The penalty is calculated as a percentage of the “potential lost revenue” but they will take into consideration; what caused the failure, whether you tell HMRC about the failure and how much assistance is required from HMRC. Penalty charges could be as high as £20,000.
August 2023
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
The recent Sustainable Future Report from 2022 found that, many people think that the construction industry will become more sustainable in the future, 74% of respondents are frustrated that they cannot do more to make the UK achieve sustainability. The report found that respondents are becoming increasingly frustrated about what is and is not in their control when it comes to sustainability.
One of the methods being used is the Environment Product Declaration programme. Corrick adds: “Environmental Product Declarations simply do not allow for any information to be hidden or downplayed, so specifiers can trust the information they provided on the product’s environmental impact throughout its life cycle.” She believes that the Environmental Product Declaration programme and the Life Cycle Assessment are effective ways for the construction industry to become more sustainable.
“I do think the EDP and the Life Cycle Assessment are effective. EPDs provide detailed information about a product’s environmental impact, considering everything from raw material extraction to a product’s end-of-life. As the most complete mapping of a product, the programme supports architects and specifiers in their product selection process, helping them to select low impact materials and achieve carbon reduction targets as a result,” says Corrick.
“Finally, EPDs help us, as the manufacturer, to identify areas of possible improvement, giving us the ability to streamline, focus and further reduce the environmental impact of our products.” BMJ
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