Saint-Gobain’s Gyproc Stable Receives International Accreditation

Two RhinoBoard products within Saint-Gobain’s Gyproc stable have received international accreditation validating their environmental impact in accordance with the global programme, The International EPD® System.

Gyproc’s RhinoBoard 12,5mm and 9,5mm have both received an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) under the ISO 14025 standard and EN 15804, an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent and comparable information about a product’s environmental impact over its whole lifecycle. The endorsement is valid for five years and provides a fair basis for comparing environmental performance of products.

According to Sathia Govender, Technical Specialist at Saint-Gobain Gyproc, while a product’s integrity and quality will always be key elements throughout the supply chain, environmental credentials are no longer negotiable. “We are seeing a definite increase in the awareness of environmentally-friendly materials, components and final products. Increasingly, customers are requiring green performance claims to be substantiated. The EPD endorsement means our products comply stringently with accepted industry standards and build on a strong foundation of trust and transparency which has always underpinned our products.”

He says that EPDs are becoming compulsory by law in certain markets, and it’s imperative for a global brand to ensure its product credentials are broadly accepted across various markets and regions.

To create an EPD, a life-cycle assessment study, which completely maps a product’s environmental footprint is carried out in accordance with the calculation rules in the product category rules (PCR). The results from the study and other information, as required by the PCR, are then compiled into the EPD reporting format. EPDs provide information about products so that architects, designers, specifiers, buyers, regulators and the general public can better understand a product’s specific, as well as overall, environmental impact.