Notice Board
Why Product Life Cycle Matters
An Insight into Sustainable Ironmongery
» SUSTAINABILITY IS A GLOBAL discussion , and one that ’ s asking questions of all organisational environments , including ironmongery . So with the role of sustainability set to become more and more important , how does ironmongery stack up ?
There has always been a certain ebb and flow towards sustainability . While it ’ s often recognised as critical , differing points of view and priorities have made it difficult to form a common push towards improvements . But is that now changing ?
In recent times , the quest for environmental sustainability has become more widespread . For example , a 2019 survey found that 47 % of internet users worldwide had stopped consuming products and services that opposed their personal values – protecting the environment topped the list as a reason for switching that product or service . With the expectations on corporate responsibility also growing , it ’ s clear that meeting environmental obligations - whether as an individual or organisation - is growing in importance .
For ironmongery , this is no different . Building environments account to around 40 % of the UK ’ s carbon footprint , and the products used within are contributing to this total . With this in mind , it ’ s critical for those in ironmongery to understand their impact on the planet and consider changes that meet environmental conventions and key sustainability principles .
Environmental Impact
The construction industry , in general , produces a staggering amount of waste . According to the 2018 edition of UK statistics on Waste , in 2014 , the UK generated a total of 202.8 million tons of waste , with Construction , Demolition and Excavation responsible for 59 % of that , totalling 119.6 million tonnes .
What ’ s more , the construction industry also accounts for 55 % of material consumption in the UK . Conceivably , ironmongery is a vital part of the fabric of a building . With architectural ironmongery constructed of iron , steel , aluminium and timber , this subset of the construction industry would also have an impact on the environment and contribute to these statistics .
To combat this , as cited in the ‘ GAI Specifiers Guide towards Ironmongery and the Impact of the Environment ’, decision makers can look to ‘ Reduce , Reuse and Recycle ’ in a bid to improve their sustainability efforts . Much of this is being done by elimintating product and packaging waste , repurposing excess or discarded materials and creating innovative products and solutions that are better placed to meet environmental regulations .
Lasting Life Cycles From using green energy to passive heating and cooling , there are numerous focus points to consider when looking to meet carbon neutrality or , better still , become carbon negative in a building environment . Though , to improve things further , decision makers must focus on extending the product life cycle of architectural ironmongery , suggests Sue Corrick , Product Marketing Manager at Allegion UK .
“ By extending the life cycle of ironmongery and minimising the need for repeat manufacturing , shipments and packaging , manufacturers can further reduce carbon footprint and protect our future envionments .
“ At a basic level , there are numerous stages that describe a product ’ s life cycle , all of which can have an impact on the environment , whether at the material extraction , manufacturing or construction stage . However , the life cycle of a construction product may also go through maintenance , refurbishment and demolition stages – of which , longevity and recycling elements must be considered to ensure the hardware outlasts the building structure itself .
“ Take product packaging for example . With the impending Plastic Packaging Tax and practices such as the Extended
Sources : https :// www . emarketer . com / content / sustainability-is-factoring-into-2019-holiday-purchases ?_ ga = 2.86774366.799594853.1621610252- 859367260.1617716512 | https :// www . ukgbc . org / climate-change / | https :// www . gai . org . uk / GAISpecGuides | https :// assets . publishing . service . gov . uk / government / uploads / system / uploads / attachment _ data / file / 918270 / UK _ Statistics _ on _ Waste _ statistical _ notice _ March _ 2020 _ accessible _ FINAL _ updated _ size _ 12 . pdf | https :// www . gov . uk / government / publications / introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-from-april-2022 / introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-2021
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JUL / AUG 2021
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