INDUSTRYNEWS
ARGE’s STRATEGY GETS GREEN
LIGHT FROM EPD EXPERTS
ARGE is celebrating a
successful annual conference
after its plans for delivering
Environmental Product
Declarations (EPDs) were
met with overwhelming
approval from some of the
industry’s leading EPD
experts.
Held in the Veneto region of
Northern Italy, the meeting
of delegates from Europe’s
largest association of lock
and hardware manufacturers
was hosted this year in
conjunction with Silca S.p.A.
part of the Swiss KABA group.
Attended by 50 members
from across Europe, the
conference marked another
milestone in the organisation’s
sustainability roadmap and
drive, to deliver generic EPDs
for locks and hardware for
the commercial benefit of its
members.
During the two day
conference both Sven-Olof
Ryding (pictured), an expert
in EPD programme holders
and managers at a European
level, and Lionel Meleton,
who specialises in the writing
and delivery of EPDs, were in
support of ARGE’s planned
programme.
Mr Ryding, in his capacity
as President of the European
ECO Platform for product
declarations, confirmed that
18
THE NOV/DEC 2014 ISSUE
SPONSORED BY DAVENPORT BURGESS
he believed the ARGE EPD
strategy was “well thoughtout and very deliverable.” Mr
Meleton, Eco-Design Manager
at CETIM France and ARGE’s
EPD Project Manager, lent his
support verifying that the EPD
project plan was on course to
meet with agreed timescales,
budgets and expectations.
Speaking on the conference’s
success and the progress
being made with the EPD
project, ARGE Chairman Hans
Weissenböck, said:
“Over the past
12 months we
have made
significant
progress with
our plan to
deliver generic
EPDs, so having
this corroborated
by two of Europe’s
most qualified experts in
EPDs was very encouraging.
“A market study has been
conducted with members to
establish the key European
manufacturers most relevant
for the selected individual
product groups. In parallel,
work on the Product Category
Rules (PRCs) for those product
groups has started. By autumn
we hope to confirm the
programme-holder for the
EPDs, with companies selected
for PCR data collection. A
feasibility study will define
which product groups will be
covered by the initial wave of
generic EPDs later in the year.
In conclusion I am happy to
confirm that we are on target
to deliver the agreed EPDs by
summer 2015.
“The positive steps taken and
validated on the EPD project,
as well as the renewing of the
ASSOFERMA membership
after a two-year absence
meant this year a spirit of
optimism was clearly
palpable amongst
the conference
participants.
It is clear
that the
developing
ARGE agenda
is becoming
increasingly
relevant to our
members – given the
increasing membership
and participation in our key
initiatives.”
The conference also saw
working groups report on
progress made in 2014, as well
as discussing its recent role
with CEN and the European
Commission Services, and
presentations on the future of
hardware design.
ARGE held exclusive talks
with CEN managers about the
delays in publication of certain
key product standards, and
as a result, has agreed with
them an escalation process to
address unnecessary potential
delays in the future.
ARGE has become a “liaison
member” of CEN/TC33,
which is responsible for lock
and hardware performance
standards. This will enable
ARGE to represent member
interests more effectively.
In addition, ARGE has
applied to become a “liaison
organisation” within CEN/
TC350 – the technical
committee focused on
construction product
sustainability - enabling ARGE
to influence how Product
Category Rules (PCRs) are
written. This, in turn, will form
the basis of EPDs, helping to
ensure that the initial phase
of ARGE EPDs will be adopted
across Europe.
Delegates also attended an
interesting excursion to SILCA
S.p.A, at Vittorio Veneto. Here
members were able to see at
first-hand the capacity and the
technical variability of one of
the most advanced production
sites for keys, access systems
and key milling machines