VIEWPOINT
DO YOUR SUSTAINABILITY CREDENTIALS CHECK OUT?
Matt Neary, National Sales Manager at Knauf Insulation
AS WE MOVE closer to net zero, sustainability will become an increasingly important factor when deciding which construction products to use. So, for insulation, it’s important that merchants can advise their customers about what factors affect its sustainability, alongside traditional measures such as thermal, fire safety and acoustic performance. To do this, they need to understand what documentation is available to verify sustainability claims – and what information it actually provides.
Embodied carbon A good place to start when looking at product sustainability is embodied carbon. This relates to all the greenhouse gas emissions (carbon) generated in the creation of a built asset. It includes the emissions from the extraction, manufacture, transport, installation, maintenance and disposal of construction materials and products.
Manufacturers may display embodied carbon calculations on two types of documents: Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The terms are often used interchangeably, so there’s confusion about which document merchants and their customers should ask for.
LCAs are undertaken by the manufacturer in-house to assess the impact of a product throughout its lifecycle. They can be undertaken in different ways and are generally unverified.
The data from an LCA can be used to create an EPD provided specific guidelines are followed. The EPD should also comply with European standard EN 15804, or International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards 14025, 14040, 14044, or 21930. The EPD can only be declared if
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it’s verified, audited, and approved by an independent, accredited third party. For this reason, product EPDs can be used to uplift BREEAM and LEED points where LCAs cannot. This means that merchants should advise their customers to ask for EPDs, not LCAs, but there are a couple of additional factors to be aware of.
Firstly, not all EPDs provide the same level of information. Where the EPD complies with EN 15804, there are two methodologies that have been used for the calculations (the older EN 15804+A1 standard and the new EN15804+A2). Any EPDs issued after July 2022 must comply with the new standard. This new standard helps with specification because it increases the scope and granularity of data provided, but it does make comparing EPDs produced using different methodologies difficult. Secondly, merchants should ask the manufacturer whether the EPD has been produced for a specific product or has been created using a ‘generic product’ and extrapolated across the range. Those produced for individual products will provide the most accurate reflection of the embodied carbon they contain.
Less chemical harm The ingredients used to make a product can also affect its sustainability – and in some cases can even affect the health of both the building’s occupants and the people who have installed them. An example of this is products that emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which affect indoor air quality. VOCs are particulate matter or, in layman’s terms, tiny particles that cannot be seen by the naked eye and can be inhaled. They have been found to cause a variety of health conditions from allergies to cancer. The best way to assess levels
of VOCs is to look for Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold Certification. This is a European- wide accreditation for low VOC products that go beyond the legislated minimum standards. The fact that ECOSE®
Technology,
Knauf Insulation’s unique bio- based binder, contains no added formaldehyde or phenol was a key factor in products made with the binder achieving Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold Certification. Another way to assess the impact of products on health and the environment is via the Declare Label. It aims to bring material transparency to construction product labelling by answering where a product comes from, what it is made of and where it goes at the end of its life. The label includes a
straightforward ingredients list and shows whether products contain chemicals featured on the
‘Red List’ – substances designated as harmful to health and the environment, such as added formaldehyde. It also provides information about levels of VOCs, embodied carbon and product life expectancy.
Knauf Insulation is the only insulation manufacturer in Europe whose glass mineral wool insulation, including Supafil® blowing wool, is accredited as Declare ‘Red List Free’. Remember, trying to assess the sustainability credentials of construction products to meet a project brief will leave many contractors feeling like they’re lost in a maze of information. So, merchants who understand the different types of sustainability assessments and documentation will be seen as trusted partners who can add value by creating a clear path to help them back up their insulation specification. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net January 2024
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