Area of Work
Website: www.ecocem.ie
Ecocem Ireland, founding members of the IGBC, produce Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag (GGBS) at their plant in Dublin port. GGBS is the best available technology for high performance low carbon cements, and is already used extensively in projects across Ireland and Europe for its low embodied carbon, durability and architectural benefits.
To verify the low environmental impact associated with GGBS, Ecocem commissioned a full life cycle analysis of the product and produced a third party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). The EPD gives a full cradle to gate breakdown of all impacts associated with the manufacture of GGBS from the granulating process at the steel works, shipping by sea from Europe and processing in the plant in Dublin Port before it leaves the gate. The impact categories range from carbon footprint to acidification and eutrophication.
EPDs are a clear way of avoiding green wash, as the clearly defined scope and transparent demonstration of results allows for direct comparison of different materials. Susan Mc Garry, Environmental Manager with Ecocem commented “With sustainability at the core of Ecocem’s business model, powering positive change resonates strongly with us, and we encourage all manufactures in Ireland to become EPD certified”.
Ecocem is Ireland’s first Irish building manufacturer to attain an Environmental Product Declaration for their product. This EPD gives Ecocem a fully independent verification of all of its environmental impacts.
As well as helping to make more informed decisions around material specification, EPDs also fit into many of the green building rating systems such as BREEAM and LEED. These systems have grown in popularity as the construction industry has started to recover and as sustainability is becoming an ever increasing priority within the construction industry.
Ecocem Ireland offer an in-house LEED green associate who can assist you with any queries you may have on your upcoming project. Ecocem’s full EPD is available from their website www.ecocem.ie.