{"id":914,"date":"2011-07-04T07:42:24","date_gmt":"2011-07-04T07:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/?p=914"},"modified":"2019-09-27T13:59:06","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T03:59:06","slug":"how-will-the-building-products-lci-affect-your-organisation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/us\/2011\/07\/04\/how-will-the-building-products-lci-affect-your-organisation\/","title":{"rendered":"How Will The Building Products LCI Affect Your Organisation?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the last few months there have been major advances in the way Australian building products can be assessed and compared for their environmental credentials. Edge Environment have played a significant role in these developments.<\/p>\n

To-date, building products and materials have primarily been assessed and promoted with individual environmental claims like \u201crecycled\u201d, \u201crecyclable\u201d, \u201cFSC Certified\u201d, \u201cnon-toxic\u201d, \u201cnatural\u201d, \u201crenewable\u201d, \u201clow VOC\u201d etc. This approach is too simplistic, often resulting in perverse outcomes that actually increase<\/em> environmental damage.<\/p>\n

To properly assess building products and materials, we must use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).<\/h3>\n

This process assesses a comprehensive range of environmental impacts. It takes account of the whole supply chain and use of the products over their life – from the extraction of raw materials, through all stages of production and transport, through construction, operation, demolition and disposal.<\/p>\n

But LCA can go wrong too, if it is not conducted on a \u201clevel playing field\u201d basis between competing materials and products.<\/p>\n

Over the last 3 years, Edge Environment have managed a major collaboration between the Australian building products industries through the Building Products Innovation Council (BPIC). Together we have developed a \u201clevel playing field\u201d methodology for LCA. The work has established a toolkit of freely available LCA resources and data; the Building Products Life Cycle Inventory<\/a> (BP LCI).<\/p>\n

As a result of this work a new generation of LCA-based building design tools, Ecolabels and Environmental Product Declarations<\/a> are being established. In addition, the Green Building Council of Australia<\/a> has committed to transitioning its material and product credits to an LCA basis.<\/p>\n

How does this affect you?<\/h3>\n

In a market where the environment and sustainability increasingly matter, the tools are now available to properly assess your products and services.<\/p>\n

Use of LCA frequently throws up unexpected results \u2013 sometimes good news, sometimes bad:<\/p>\n

The good news can be used for scientifically rigorous marketing claims and environmental certifications for suppliers wanting to demonstrate green credentials.<\/p>\n

The bad news can become<\/em> good news as you innovate to mitigate your liabilities (especially if your competitors are not even aware <\/em>of the liabilities). As you do so, you may also benefit from cost reductions that often go hand in hand with environmental savings.<\/p>\n

You can use these tools to gain a significant competitive advantage in your market. In the words of Ian Frame, CEO of BPIC:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn’t the end of the BP LCI project. It’s the beginning of a new era of innovation in more sustainable product development and more sustainable building design which will improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the Australian building products industries\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

Edge Environment are a leading LCA consultancy in Australia. We provide cost-effective LCA services<\/a> to a wide range of companies, servicing both small and multinational organisations.<\/p>\n

We can help you:<\/h3>\n