Plasterboard Roadmap: Status Report July 08

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1 Plasterboard Roadmap: Status Report July Summary This roadmap focuses on understanding and improving the life cycle impacts of plasterboard. A number of government and industry-led measures are in place or in progress to reduce environmental impacts and the roadmap will seek to add value by building on existing initiatives. The roadmap is in its evidence gathering stage, and is currently focussed on developing an understanding of the environmental and wider sustainability impacts associated with plasterboard and identifying measures in place to address them. In particular, we are undertaking a piece of policy mapping work to chart the sustainability-focussed policies and initiatives in place and to highlight policy gaps. This is due to report in autumn 2008 and will inform the future direction of the roadmap. 2. Scope of the roadmap Product definition The roadmap aims to improve the life cycle impacts of plasterboard available on the mainstream UK market. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) have recently published a plasterboard LCA study, which defines a functional unit of plasterboard as one standard sheet of 2,400 mm by 1,200 mm (8 by 4 ) by 12.5 mm thick Type A board with square edge profile. 1 The roadmap will adhere to this definition as it has been informed by the Gypsum Products Development Association (GPDA) and is the most common type of plasterboard product in terms of production and sales volume, and for use in general purpose applications. Range of impacts The primary focus of the plasterboard roadmap is on understanding and addressing the environmental impacts arising across the plasterboard life cycle. Wider sustainability impacts are also being included during the evidence gathering stage and, once the evidence has been collated, we will decide on the extent to which they will continue to be considered as part of the roadmap. Geographic boundaries The roadmap will focus on the impacts of UK production and consumption, including impacts that are generated overseas. Invite stakeholder views on the proposed scope of the roadmap. 1 WRAP, 2008, Life Cycle Assessment of Plasterboard

2 3. Evidence There are a number of evidence sources covering the environmental impacts of plasterboard. These include the Market Transformation Programme (MTP) and WRAP, who have recently-published an LCA study on plasterboard. Environmental impacts Life cycle stage Impact Evidence source Raw materials Production Distribution and retail Consumer use End of life Extraction and transportation of raw materials, including gypsum sources, facing paper and chemical additives. Two million tonnes of plasterboard is manufactured in the UK each year. Impacts are associated with conversion of raw materials into plasterboard. Internal recycling of production waste. Transportation of finished products to plasterboard merchants and construction contractors. Packaging. Use of plasterboard in construction and refurbishment projects and generation of offcut waste from installation. Burdens associated with demolition and refurbishment projects. Collection and transport to waste management. Landfill. Between 1 and 1.3 million tonnes of plasterboard waste is generated through construction, refurbishment and demolition activities each year. MTP MTP

3 Complete the evidence collation phase of the roadmap and share the results with stakeholders. Identify evidence gaps and consider commissioning research to address them. 4. Interventions There are a range of interventions in place or in process to improve the environmental performance of plasterboard. The plasterboard sector have demonstrated commitment to improving the environmental performance of plasterboard through industry-led initiatives such as the Ashdown Agreement to reduce the volume of plasterboard waste going to landfill. We will work closely with industry throughout the roadmap process to build on existing sustainability initiatives and in support of this are undertaking a policy mapping exercise. This will help us to better understand the range of initiatives in place and to identify policy gaps, where the roadmap could potentially add value. A selection of key initiatives is listed below under Existing Interventions. Existing interventions Ashdown Agreement: A voluntary agreement, signed up to by plasterboard manufacturers in March 2007, to bring a significant reduction in the amount of waste plasterboard sent to landfill and to increase the take back and recycling of plasterboard waste, for use in plasterboard manufacture. Work is underway to extend the agreement to other parts of the plasterboard supply chain. 2 Strategy for Sustainable Construction: Joint industry and Government Strategy to improve the sustainability of the construction industry. The Strategy sets out specific actions for industry and Government, which will contribute to the achievement of overarching targets within each of the main areas covered by the sustainability agenda. 3 Code for Sustainable Homes: The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against nine categories of sustainable design, rating the 'whole home' as a complete package. The Code uses a 1 to 6 star rating system to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a new home. 4 BREEAM: An environmental assessment method for non-domestic buildings, which assesses buildings against a set of criteria and provides an ales/codesustainable/

4 overall score which will fall within a band providing either a Pass, Good, Very Good or Excellent rating. 5 Proposed EU Construction Products Regulation: The proposal includes a requirement for the sustainable use of natural resources across the life cycle of construction works. 6 Complete the policy mapping exercise and use this to help determine the roadmap s future focus. 5. Stakeholder engagement Engagement to date We have had early engagement with key industry and NGO stakeholders, including: The Construction Products Association (CPA) The Gypsum Products Development Association (GPDA) Key plasterboard manufacturers The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) A number of these organisations have made a positive contribution to the development of our policy mapping work. Proposals for future engagement Our policy mapping work is due to complete in autumn Following this we will be seeking stakeholder views on the future direction of the roadmap so they can inform/shape it and identify their priorities. 6. Forward Plan The roadmap is still at the relatively early evidence gathering stage. Once we have completed our review of impacts and interventions, we will use this to determine the future direction of the roadmap in consultation with stakeholders. Activity Defining Scope Detail and Proposed Timing Work with stakeholders to identify an outline plan for the roadmap process, defining aims and

5 Evidence Developing a vision objectives Autumn Review evidence and policy mapping work (due to complete in Autumn 2008) and, based on this and on stakeholder views, consider commissioning further research over Winter 2008/09. Work with stakeholders to define a vision and agree practical actions that build on existing measures - Winter/Spring Defra July 2008