LCA Links!

PRESS RELEASE: PU Europe presented on May 20th, 2010, a generic Environmental Product Declaration for Polyurethane (PU) insulation boards to increase the transparency of construction products markets.

Background:An environmental product declaration (EPD) is a communication tool that provides quantified information on the potential environmental impacts of a product or process based on information from a life cycle assessment (LCA) over its entire lifetime or a part of it. An important advantage of using EPDs is the possibility to add LCA-based information in the supply chain. This feature makes EPDs particularly valuable for the building sector where the final building is based on a large number of materials, construction products, semi-manufactured products and processes. The EPD for PU was established through a third-party verified system based on the future CEN standard prEN 15804 and covers the cradle-to-gate phase of the product.

On behalf of PU Europe, Shpresa Kotaji (Huntsman Polyurethanes and PU Europe Life Cycle Assessment expert) commented, “With the publication of our EPD, we do not only respond to an increasing market need, we also want to pro-actively increase market transparency and facilitate sustainable material choices at the building level.”

It is indeed important to know that EPDs for construction products cannot simply be compared on the basis of a weight unit. Comparisons can only be performed at the level of the building so as to establish how much of a product is needed to meet certain design requirements and how material choices affect the overall building design in terms of ancillary materials, component weight and thickness, building footprint etc.

The PU industry will further step up its efforts to optimise production technologies and processes. “We can expect these efforts to lead to significant improvements in the overall environmental balance of PU insulation products over the next few years”, Kotaji concluded.

The environmental product declaration is available HERE

May 26, 2010 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CDT

This free one-hour webinar introduces UL Environment’s services related to: Environmental Claims Validation, Sustainable Product Certification and Energy Efficiency Certification.   The webinar will assist customers with identifying the new and existing market drivers including regulations surrounding energy efficiency programs, recent consumer and market research in the green building environment, and coming trends.  It will also review the value of third-party certification.  The webinar is a sales pitch but should be of key interest to those looking for verification services related to the green marketing claims.

 The topics covered in this webinar are:

• An overview of key market drivers, including:
  • green building codes,
  • requirements to use green building programs,
  • shifts in the marketplace towards standards and key energy efficiency regulations in North America for High Tech,
  • Lighting,
  • HVAC and
  • Appliance Products
• How UL Environment’s services will streamline compliance with these regulations
• How to obtain the various, ECV, SPC and EEC Marks, and differences between them
• Bundling the new Marks with other UL and ULE Services
• The value of third-party certification

Objectives

• Identify UL Environment service offerings
• Recognize changes in energy efficiency regulations
• Analyze key trends in the sustainability marketplace
• Recognize the value of third-party certification

Target Audience -  Customers selling the following product types in North America:

• Roofing
• Insulation
• Suspended Ceiling Materials
• Drywall, Mineral board, Fiberboard
• Fenestration
• Masonry Products
• CFLs
• Dishwashers
• Refrigerators and Freezers
• TVs/Monitors
• Computers
• Servers
• External power supplies

To sign up for the webinar, visit the UL University Website HERE

Defra has announced a proposed update of their Green Claims Guidance.  The update will make it easier for businesses to market their ‘green’ credentials in a fair and understandable way.

Environment Minister Dan Norris said:  “With so many products claiming to be environmentally friendly, it is difficult to tell which companies are really making big improvements. The updated Green Claims Guidance will help businesses with genuine ‘green’ credentials by providing clear practical guidance on how they should advertise. Importantly, it will protect consumers from misleading and confusing claims.

“The proposed new enforcement powers should build consumers’ confidence that legally binding minimum energy efficiency standards for products are being met and that energy labels are accurate, so they can make properly informed choices. This will make it easier for people to do the right thing by the environment.”

Referencing ISO 14021, the Green Claims Guidance represents good practice to be followed on a voluntary basis, and can be applied to any marketing and advertising that companies wish to make about their environmental performance. The guidance sets out the key principles that businesses should consider to ensure their claims are clear, accurate and relevant to consumers.  The update to the guidance strengthens the principles from the previous guidance and provides more practical information and advice relevant to the current market.

The consultation can be found on the Defra website here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/green-claims/20100322-green-claims-condoc.pdf

Microsoft just released a commissioned report on the benefits of electronic distribution of software.  By replacing traditional distribution of software by DVD/CD disk kit with electronicly software distribution (ESD) means, a 91% reduction in carbon emissions from a life cycle perspective can be achieved.

Thanks goodness!  Because I just purchased a new PC with Windows 7 and there were 50 updates waiting for me after turning on the machine for the first time!

The study can be found on WSP Environmental’s website here:  http://www.wspenvironmental.com/media/docs/en/demonstrating.the.benefits.of.esd.accenture.wsp.pdf