PVC Minimisation Credit Review

Background

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is committed to the continuous improvement of all Green Star credits. The Mat-7 'PVC Minimisation' credit is one of four core Green Star Materials Category credits that are currently under review.

Over the past 18 months, the GBCA has undertaken an extensive engagement process involving analysis of stakeholder feedback from Green Star users. There has been continuous dialogue with stakeholders around the challenges, opportunities and appropriateness of the Mat-7 credit within Green Star rating tools.

The Plastics Industry Pipe Association (PIPA), The Vinyl Council of Australia (VCA), The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), the City of Sydney, ARUP and BRANZ Australia are a few of the organisations that the GBCA has been working with to better understand the complexities and opportunities for improving environmental practices within the PVC industry and its products' applications within the built environment.

The Green Star technical team has attended meetings and site visits to PVC recycling and manufacturing facilities and has identified significant improvements which have occurred within the industry's production and product stewardship practices over the past five years.

The GBCA will commence a review of the PVC Minimisation credit to explore the potential for advancing environmental improvements in the PVC industry within the context of building and fitout materials and Green Star rating tools, and encouraging better practice therein.

The proposal

GBCA will engage experts from the GBCA membership and the Australian PVC Industry to serve on a PVC Expert Reference Panel (ERP). The ERP will act as an advisory group to the GBCA to assist with technical matters on domestic and international best environmental practice initiatives related to the manufacture, use and end-of-life of PVC building products. A key aim of this credit review is to address the environmental and human-health impacts of PVC building and fitout materials, including product constituents and manufacturing processes. Any alterations to the credit will reflect a more holistic approach to the opportunities available for reducing the use of toxic or hazardous materials, while encouraging the reasonable use of replacement technologies and other environmental efficiencies relating to all stages of PVC building products production, use and disposal.

The process

This credit review will follow the established Green Star Stakeholder Engagement Process and involve regular progress updates. Please see the Process updates and Latest update sections below for a historical record and an up-to -date account of this project's status.

View the Green Star Stakeholder Engagement Process

Process updates

In this section you can find Mat-7 'PVC Minimisation' credit revision materials as they become available:

Proposed Project Timeline - Mat-7 Credit Revision

PVC Expert Reference Panel - Expressions of Interest Request

Latest update

Week 27th October - PVC ERP expressions of interest period begins; Stakeholders requested to nominate subject matter experts that meet the ERP selection criteria. (expressions of interest close 23rd November)

October - November - GBCA assists PIPA and VCA with coordination of stakeholder seminar event(s) in Sydney and Melbourne; PIPA and VCA to prepare presentations on the international best-practice work undertaken by the Australian PVC industry.

Week 13th October - Meeting with GBCA staff, VCA and PIPA to discuss the planning of the PVC stakeholder information forums; Formal letter to VCA reaffirming GBCA's commitment to Mat-7 credit review delivered; Assistance from VCA sought on specific areas of subject matter expertise for PVC ERP selection criteria.

3rd October - Meeting with PIPA to discuss issues of concern from outcomes of GBCA-commissioned peer review of the BRANZ adaptation of the USGBC TSAC report; Discuss scope and timing for stakeholder education / presentation opportunities.

24th September - GBCA Staff attend PACIA Design for Sustainability (D4S) Plastics Seminar in Melbourne.

22nd September - Meeting between GBCA, VCA and the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers at SB08 Melbourne to discuss status of PVC regulation and specification in Europe and the credit review process.

11th September - GBCA Staff attend VCA Technical Steering Group Meeting presentation by Dr. Roger Drew on Phthalates.

10th September - GBCA CEO Romilly Madew attends PIPA Board Meeting; Formal letter to PIPA reaffirming GBCA's commitment to Mat-7 credit review delivered; Assistance from PIPA sought on specific areas of subject matter expertise for PVC ERP selection criteria.

4th August - Meeting with VCA to discuss framework for Expert Reference Panel and nomination process, PVC recycling and third party certification. VCA and GBCA discuss VCA proposals for alternative approaches to Mat-7 credit criteria.

July - August - GBCA undertakes additional informal peer review of BRANZ report on Adaptation of the USGBC TSAC Report for Relevance to Australian DWV Pipe; Revision of nomination and selection processes for ERP Participants undertaken by GBCA to ensure that all ERP's are representative of the GBCA's membership and of each part of the green building supply chain without reinforcing any single stakeholder's interests.

14th July - Independent Peer Reviews of BRANZ study report on Adaptation of the USGBC TSAC Report for Relevance to Australian DWV Pipe discussed at Sustainability Advantage Building Products Technical Working Group meeting. Independent peer reviewers were nominated jointly by the GBCA/DECC/PIPA group and funded independently by DECC.

10th July - VCA responds to questions raised at 11th June meeting including Vinyl-2-Life report, the 2008 EMS Commitment, and the minimum EMS Standard.

11th June - Meeting with VCA in Sydney; issues pertaining to Phthalates, as well as the Vinyl Councils Product Stewardship Program, particularly with regards to the End of Life Program for Flooring.

May - June - PIPA and GBCA discuss several proposals for alternative Mat-7 credit criteria to suggest ways in which a revised credit could better address Australian PVC pipe.

16th May - VCA coordinates site visits to Australian Vinyls PVC plant and Armstrong vinyl tile manufacturing facility in Melbourne for GBCA staff.

14th March - GBCA staff attend site visits to Iplex and Vinidex PVC pipe manufacturing and facilities and Benedict recycling centre in Sydney.

March - July 2008 - GBCA participation with DECC and PIPA in the Sustainability Advantage Building Products Technical Working Group; BRANZ prepares study report on Adaptation of the USGBC TSAC Report for Relevance to Australian DWV Pipe.