PASS product endorsement: defining 'Green'

  

When selecting sustainable construction materials, identifying ‘Green’ products is the number 1 issue for architects, specifiers and other building designers.

GreenSpec’s PASS endorsement label is recognised as the leading practical labeling system enabling designers to distinguish really green products from lesser environmental quality materials. For manufacturers, PASS equips their products to stand-out from the ‘greenwash’ background noise.

  

GreenSpec PASS: How it works

   

	The PASS system: how GreenSpec selects products There are variety of methodologies associated with identifying green products. GreenSpec uses the PASS system which combines evidence with expert knowledge.
	The PASS endorsement process Assessing products for PASS endorsement involves reviewing available information and comparing it with other products in the market.
	Manufacturers' documentation: the information we use to assess products   In the detailed assessment of a product, the GreenSpec review team look to a wide and comprehensive selection of data, documents and certificates in order to be assured that a product is well-supported with evidence.
	Evidence quality & categorisation Not all evidence is the same. Understanding what to look out for is critical to the successful specification of low environmental impact products and materials.

   

Reducing enviromental impact using Green products

	A new driver: - EU Construction Product Regulation 305/2011 Replacing the Construction Products Directive, the new regulation demands manufacturers provide an account of the environmental impact of their products.
	Why we choose 'Green' products The case for preferring those products that have the least environmental impacts is necessary and compelling.
	Measuring environmental impacts The science of environmental impact analysis is still developing. There's a lot we know, but, equally there's much we don't. The challenge is to move forward with what we've got.

   

Why Green products need to be distinctive

Greenwash The widespread use of Greenwash by construction product manufacturers risks undermining the evolving market in environmentally preferable materials. Understanding its manifestations is an important step towards resisting its use.

 

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) &
Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs)

	Environmental Product Declarations - Type III labels to ISO 14025 EPDs are labels that disclose the essential environmental performance of products using pre-determined parameters. The development of EPDs is set to increase exponentially.
	Product Category Rules (PCR) Product category rules ensure that EPDs make sense and are useful to their user-base.
	Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) With their recording and analysis of data, LCAs lay the essential foundations to understanding the environmental impacts of products and materials.

   

Other 'Eco' labels

	Ecolabels - Type I labels to ISO 14024 and others There are a number of different types of 'ecolabel' - usually characterised by who defines them, to what purpose and to what standard.
	Ecolabels in use in Europe Labels originating within and outside of Europe are commonly used to denote certified standards. This is a list of some of the leading players that specifiers might encounter.