British Gypsum is making the selection of sustainable solutions simpler for customers following the introduction of its first batch of environmental product declarations (EPDs). The EPDs have been designed to give customers independently verified information on the performance of products.
British Gypsum is the first plasterboard manufacturer in the UK to release specific independently verified EPDs to customers. The underlying Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) consider the entire life cycle of a product solution from cradle to grave. As part of each assessment, a comprehensive range of factors are considered including the potential environmental effects of raw materials, the manufacturing process, logistics, installation, performance in use, and finally the product at the end of its life. Following the LCA process, an EPD is produced providing clear data evidence for environmental building certification schemes, such as BREEAM.
Heidi Barnard, Sustainability Leader at British Gypsum, said: "Across the construction industry there are many claims made regarding the environmental performance of products and as such, it can be hard for specifiers to get a genuine picture of how sustainable a solution really is. As EPDs are based on clearly defined EU-wide rules and regulations, they give an indicator of performance that is reliable and transparent.
"Our first EPDs are for 12.5mm Gyproc WallBoard, 12.5mm Gyproc FireLine, 12.5mm Gyproc Moisture Resistant, 15mm Gyproc DuraLine and 15mm Gyproc SoundBloc plasterboards, but this is just the beginning of the journey. We have a dedicated team developing further EPDs for our solutions and these will be rolled out in due course."
Without any changes to a product's raw materials, EPDs remain valid for five years and include information on raw material use, energy use and efficiency, content of materials and chemical substances, emissions to air, soil and water and waste generation – this enables customers to understand the full environmental impacts.
