The Benefits of Eco-Reinforcement
What are the Benefits of Eco-Reinforcement Certification?
- Encourages the adoption of responsible sourcing principles from the product level up through the supply chain
- Provides specifiers with confidence that reinforcing steel products are responsibly sourced
- Encourages sector consistency and comparability
- Encourages initial benchmarking followed by continuous improvement of sustainability practices
- Provides recognition for organisations already managing sustainability impacts
- Provides a route to obtaining credits within Materials sections of BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes
- Consistent with UK Strategy for Sustainable Construction aim of 25% responsibly sourced construction products
- Consistent with Construction Products Association targets for responsible sourcing
- Assessment procedure can be ‘bolted on’ to existing certification audits, thereby maximising value while minimising costs
- Certification mark can be used as a marketing opportunity
- Competitive advantage.
Full Supply Chain Transparency
Eco-Reinforcement certified products provide complete assurance that each part of the supply chain has been assessed to ensure it addresses responsible sourcing principles through the implementation and maintenance of appropriate management systems such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Full material traceability including environmental stewardship through supply chain organisations responsible for the extraction, harvesting or recovery of raw material is assured. Additionally, fundamental principles and rights at work are guaranteed in line with International regulations.
Conforming with the requirements of BES 6001, Eco-Reinforcement provides a route to obtaining credits within Responsible Sourcing of Materials sections in BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes – Eco-Reinforcement Very Good/Excellent ratings reach Tier Level 1 (3 credits) while Pass/Good certificates reach Tier Level 2 (2 credits in CSH, 2.5 for good, 2 for pass in BREEAM). Also through BES 6001 compliance, Eco-Reinforcement is also recognised as an acceptable responsible sourcing sector scheme within CEEQUAL.
Eco-Reinforcement is compliant with the requirements of BES 6001) and conforms with BS 8902:2009 (Responsible Sourcing Sector Certification Schemes for Construction Products).
The Eco-Reinforcement Standard encourages local sourcing by requiring companies to demonstrate their commitment to addressing the adverse social and environmental impacts of transporting both raw constituent materials from source, through to finished product to customers, supporting local employment and providing reduction targets for continuous improvement. Many companies claim to source locally, but the real proof is in complete supply chain certification.
The Eco-Reinforcement standard rating system in accordance with BES 6001 provides cross-sector comparability with other construction products.
Eco-Reinforcement is recognised as a third-party certification scheme for the supply of reinforcement within edition 4 of NSCS Guidance for sustainable construction.
The management of resources is crucial to responsible sourcing. The recycling of materials is widely recognised to be one of the most sustainable approaches to the manufacturing of construction products. The Eco-Reinforcement Standard validates this through recognition of recycled content, providing additional credits as this figure increases. For example, reinforcing steel manufactured via the Electric Arc Furnace production route contains over 98% recycled content, and is 100% recyclable.
The standard rating system encourages continuous improvement, pushing manufacturers to aim for higher levels, increasing transparency by giving stakeholders the ability to review performance via public reporting mechanisms. This provides specifiers with the confidence that they are sourcing reinforcing steel from suppliers who are addressing the key criteria demanded by an ever increasingly, sustainability conscious construction market.
Stakeholder engagement was critical in ensuring the Eco-Reinforcement Standard was developed fairly, fully encompassing the needs of the construction sector. An independent Scheme Council continues to address these needs through the management and development of the Standard to ensure continuous improvement of the Eco-Reinforcement supply chain. As part of the social requirements section within the standard, Eco-Reinforcement certified companies are required to actively engage with their local community.