Product Declarations

Following comprehensive evaluation of its entire life cycle the material RHEINZINK has been certified by the organisation Institute Construction and Environment (IBU) as an environmentally friendly building product according to ISO 14025 Type III (EPD - Environmental Product Declaration). This ecological label for building products, which is unique in Europe, allows an even more reliable assessment to be made of the "green" values relevant to environmental sustainability.

What are Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)?

An EPD describes the environmental performance of building products. Such declarations are designed to encourage the development of healthy and environmentally friendly construction. EPDs contain the basic data for making an ecological assessment of a building and comply with internationally harmonised ISO standards. Evaluation is based on a life cycle assessment which supplements the data given in the EPD. This assessment is drawn up according to ISO 14040, which is applicable throughout the world.

The declaration specifies the following: a definition of the product and its data in terms of building physics, information about its basic materials and their origin, description of the production process, details about product processing, information about in-use conditions, any extraordinary impacts and end of life, results of life cycle assessments, testing and verifications. The outcome of the life cycle assessment allows statements to be made regarding the consumption of energy and resources and the potential contribution of a product to global warming, acidification, eutrophication, depletion of the ozone layer and the formation of smog.

Type III declarations are issued on the basis of criteria developed with the help of independent third parties and are also reviewed by an independent advisory board. They are therefore ideal when making an objective comparison between building products in terms of their environmental impact. They provide a systematic and standardised basis for data to produce an ecological assessment of a building in the "modular construction system" using declarations for individual building products. A life cycle analysis takes into consideration the entire life of the building, the construction phase, usage including possible conversion as well as demolition and disposal, with any contribution made by the building products to energy efficiency or other aspects of sustainable building management also being included here. 

A study published by the German Federal Environment Agency has confirmed that the use of zinc for roofing and facades is an ecological choice. The guidelines drawn up for architects and developers under this study recommends performing a life cycle assessment for each material to be used for construction. 

Further details about EPD´s can be found on the website of Institute Construction and Environment e.V.: 

www.bau-umwelt.de

RHEINZINK coils and sheets have been certified by BRE Global (British Research Establishment Ltd.) as environmentally-friendly construction products. As with the EPD’s evaluation, this evaluation is also based on a "cradle to grave" life cycle analysis of the material. The environmental impact is converted into "ecopoints" per tonne of material. The annual environmental impact of an inhabitant of Western Europe equals 100 ecopoints.

The overall evaluation is carried out on the basis of different construction elements, i.e. all the materials required for 1 m² roof or façade are included. Transportation, maintenance, lifetime and required processes at the end of the product’s useful life are taken into consideration to calculate the environmental impact based on a 60 year study period ("cradle to grave"). The result is presented in ecopoints pro m² and translated into easy-to-interpret ratings from A+ to E.

RHEINZINK roof coverings and standing seam façade linings have been awarded an A rating. This and other ratings for RHEINZINK roof and façade components can be found on the free-of-charge online database www.greenbooklive.com. Go to Search all GBL and simply enter RHEINZINK under Company Name.

In March 2009 RHEINZINK was awarded certification according to the "Cradle to Cradle" criteria. Cradle to Cradle is based on the philosophy that all materials can be recycled into a new product without loss of quality including their residual materials, thus taking account of the entire life cycle from generation of the material until its reuse. Cradle to Cradle differs from recycling in that a material retains its original value and can be reused as a new item of at least equal value (upcycling) and not as an inferior product (downcycling) or even worse, as a product only fit for landfill.

This desirable technical and biological cycle avoids waste and environmental pollution. In addition, there is the requirement that a material must not release any toxic substances during usage, deconstruction and recycling into a new product. RHEINZINK is also guaranteed to impress with its unusually long service life, which averages 75 years in the case of roofing and facades. Such favourable material properties and the patina's high resistance to corrosion, formed on exposure to the atmosphere, will ensure compliance with the Cradle to Cradle criteria for many generations.

RHEINZINK's roof coverings and facade claddings have been awarded the status "Basic" by the MBDC Institute. Cradle to Cradle certification at "Basic" Level applies to all RHEINZINK roof and facade products including the complete roof drainage system. Categorisation is reviewed by MBDC on an annual basis and the product recategorised. Certification according to the Cradle to Cradle criteria confirms RHEINZINK's claim of operating an environmentally friendly business. 

Other useful details about Cradle to Cradle can be found at:

www.braungart.com