Green Building Council of Australia adopts new PVC credit for Green Star

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) have adopted a new PVC material credit within the Green Star Rating tool which recognises PVC product that meets best environmental practice from 7 April 2010. The changes are the culmination of a long and rigorous review of PVC in the built environment. This review has been comprehensive taking over 18 months to complete involving an expert reference panel assembled by the GBCA, inspections of Australian facilities and an extensive international literature review.

The outcome sees the GBCA move away from the negative credit approach currently in place and instead adopt a positive reward where suitably certified PVC products (including pipe and conduit) can attract points under the Green Star rating system. These products will be independently third party certified as meeting the “best practice requirements” as defined by the GBCA.

The following is an extract from the press release quoting GBCA CEO Romilly Madew outlining the reasons and justification for the proposed new approach;

“Rewarding best practice PVC products within the Green Star rating system will stimulate demand for best practice, responsibly-produced PVC products in Australia,” said Ms Madew. A series of Expert Reference Panel meetings, site visits, discussions with key stakeholders, and examination of international studies had shown that the lifecycle of PVC, from raw materials and production through use to end-of-life, recycling and disposal has changed considerably in the past five years, Ms Madew explained.

The GBCA press release can be read in full by visiting their website www.gbca.org.au.  The GBCA are to be commended for taking this action as it not only recognises advances in the PVC industry generally and the Australian pipe sector in particular but also provides a framework that will continue to encourage and reward best practice product design in the future.

The Green Building Council of New Zealand are also planning to notify these changes to the New Zealand version of Green Star but are yet to advise a time frame for this.  In the mean time the New Zealand PVC manufacturing industry is focusing on ensuring it meets the new Best Practice criteria and hopes to have certified product available here as soon as these changes are adopted.

http://www.gbca.org.au/green-star/materials-category/revised-green-star-pvc-credit/2716.htm