E: Requirements of Eco-Reinforcement
The Eco-Reinforcement Standard assesses against a number of different requirements within three categories: Organisational management requirements, Supply chain management requirements, and Environmental & social management requirements.
The organisational, supply chain, environmental and social criteria, are either defined as compulsory or voluntary which can also be 'tradeable'. Certificates are awarded on a 'Pass', 'Good', 'Very good' and 'Excellent' scale based on the number of points awarded for different performance levels. Assessments can be undertaken for single products/sites, multiple products/sites or entire organisations.
- Organisational and supply chain criteria
The correct management systems are critical to enable suppliers to establish, implement and maintain procedures that address responsible sourcing principles. Organisations certified to the Eco-Reinforcement Standard will have policies and procedures in place for addressing their responsible sourcing commitments and legal requirements. They will also have certified quality management systems to ISO 9001 or equivalent and a system for approving and recording suppliers. Furthermore, the organisation must demonstrate that a high percentage of suppliers operate in compliance with international human rights legislation.
However, the principle of Responsible Sourcing is not solely based around the individual organisation, rather it goes much further incorporating the complete supply chain i.e. from the source of the raw materials used in the production of the assessed product, through to end use. A high percentage of materials within the assessed product will be traceable back to source, and organisations throughout the supply chain of the product will operate under recognised quality, environmental and health & safety management systems such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.
- Environmental and social criteria
Responsible sourcing addresses not only the environmental impacts of a product but also the social impacts occurring as a result of the manufacturing/fabricating process. Organisations producing Eco-Reinforcement certified products will be committed to measuring their environmental and social impacts against a formal set of metrics and setting targets for their improvement as well as reporting their performance to stakeholders and verifying their data. Depending on the level of certification, a range of the following impacts will be addressed:
- Greenhouse gas emissions
Steel production is a highly energy intensive process. The two common steelmaking methods used worldwide today are the Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) method, and the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) approach.
The BOS process involves the smelting of iron ore and coking coal in a blast furnace to make pig iron, which is then refined with scrap metal as part of a secondary steelmaking process to make steel. The EAF process involves the recycling of scrap metal using electricity in furnace to make new steel.
Consequently, there are significant greenhouse gas emissions associated with both processes, and it is the purpose of certification to the Eco-Reinforcement Standard to commit to and set targets for the reduction of these emissions in line with current reporting mechanisms such as commitment to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the Climate Change Agreement. - Resource use
All new steel contains an amount of recycled scrap metal, and is fully recyclable. In the case of steel manufactured via the Electric Arc Furnace method of production, 95%+ of the raw materials used to make the steel is recycled scrap metal. In terms of the sourcing of raw materials, organisations are required to demonstrate environmental stewardship at the source for significant constituent materials. - Waste management
It is estimated that currently around 20-25 million tonnes of construction waste is sent to landfill each year1. As part of the Strategy for Sustainable Construction, UK Government have set a target to reduce this figure by 50% by 2012.
In committing to certification to the Eco-Reinforcement Standard, steel mills and fabricators set objectives and targets to effectively manage waste streams through reduction, re-use, recycling and recovery, minimising waste incinerated and disposal to landfill without energy or material recovery. - Water extraction
The UK Government has set a target of reducing the water usage in the manufacturing of materials for and the construction of new buildings and structures by 2012, based on 2008 levels2.
During the production of steel reinforcement, large volumes of water are used in order to cool the molten steel and ensure the material properties in the finished product are in line with relevant standards. It is therefore a compulsory requirement that steel mills address the amount of water they use by source, and set targets for reduction where possible. - Life cycle assessment
There is growing demand from the construction design and sustainable construction community for life cycle analysis (LCA) data, for inclusion in design software and utilisation during the material selection decision making process. The Eco-Reinforcement standard addresses this through a voluntary requirement for manufacturers to have a Type I, II or III environmental product declaration of the reinforcing steel they produce.
While currently reporting LCA data is a voluntary requirement within the standard, there is a growing desire to make this compulsory in the near future, in line with increasing demand for accurate environmental data by designers. - Transport
Transport impacts are a significant part of the steel reinforcement supply chain, and can contribute significantly to steel mill and steel fabricator overarching environmental impacts. In certain parts of the reinforcing steel supply chain transports impacts can be as significant as the emissions created through steel processing.
As a result of globalised steel markets, even when dealing with a local steel reinforcement fabricator, the hidden transportation impacts can be colossal with raw materials and semi-finished products travelling vast distances before arriving with the fabricator. Often end users will only see and consider the delivery distance from fabricator depot to construction site which is often only the 'tip of the iceberg'.
The Eco-Reinforcement standard has a requirement for all certified companies to calculate and record all transportation emissions, and commit to achieving reduction targets through a process of continuous improvement, and utilisation of more efficient modes of transport. - Employment and skills
The treatment, welfare and development of employees is an important part of a holistic approach to responsible sourcing. A growing number of clients, designers and contractors are aware of the social impacts that their procurement strategies can have on individuals and communities on a national and international level, and have welcomed the development of responsible sourcing schemes such as BES 6001 and Eco-Reinforcement.
Eco-Reinforcement provides specifiers with the confidence that the reinforcement supply chain is addressing social issues such as employment and skills and has committed to a process of continuous improvement. - Local communities
Organisations do not operate in isolation. They are an integral part of the communities in which they are located and operate. Steel mills and fabricator organisations have a diverse stakeholder group, of which the local community forms a crucial part. Through the process of local community engagement, these organisations can establish and enhance their relationship with local schools, community groups and others who have an interest in the local environment.
It is a compulsory requirement of Eco-Reinforcement that certified companies commit to a process of stakeholder engagement, including local community groups, to work with these parties to address concerns and provide solutions which have a positive outcome for all concerned.
2. Strategy for Sustainable Construction - UK Government in association with Strategic Forum for Construction - June 2008- Greenhouse gas emissions