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Eco-material Definition
The CAP'EM partners have developed the following definition of an "eco-material" for consultation:
"An ecological buiding material/product is a material/product with no heavy negative environmental impact and with no negative health impact."
This is the first time that experts from 5 European countries have come together to define what a eco-material actually is. The partners have also defined the following criteria to define a bio-ecological construction material/product:
- (almost) inexhaustible natural raw materials
- no / minimum chemical additives
- no heavy negative environmental impact
- no negative health impact
- vegetable (agriculture/forestry)
- animal
- mineral
- no petrochemicals/synthetics contenents
To comment on these definition, please send us an email: info@capem.eu
Eco-Materials Evaluation Tool
Working Group 1 has developed the overall methodology for the simplified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluation tool and is currently exploring how the results should be visible on the website, notably how website users will search for certain materials and data.
We have chosen SimaPro as a calculating system and the well-known Ecoinvent as our basic database. To this, we will add further data and our own CAP’EM selection criteria.
Using the Life Cycle metaphor, SimaPro will calculate the impacts of the material up until it is ready to leave the factory; that is its raw material use and manufacture. This is known as “cradle to gate”. For the rest of the life cycle (“gate to grave” ), CAP’EM will develop a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which will include transport, retailers, use, end of life etc. to calculate the definitive LCA results. In this way, the assessment will reflect the real conditions related to the user, and thus avoid using average quantities to measure the impacts. For example, the same material purchased for a client in Southern UK will not have the same impacts as a client in North West Germany.
The working Group is being assisted by UK-based LCA-specialist Andrew Norton (Renuables) to develop this ground breaking methodology.
Exhibition Centres
The CAP'EM project will create a network of exhibition centres across England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. The centres will be created by each project partner in their respective regions, mostly within the context of a significant new build or renovation project using eco-construction techniques.
Each centre will include a "showroom" dedicated to learning, understanding and improving skills.
The centres will allow end-users and building professionals to learn about the latest ecologically friendly building materials and see them in action.
Promoting Eco Materials
A key element of the project is to disseminate CAP’EM’s methods, tools and results to encourage take up of eco materials in the building construction sector.
To this end, the partners launched CAP’EM at the PassiveHouse Fair in Brussels in September 2009, and have promoted the project at the following national events:
- Interbuild, Birmingham, UK (September 2009)
- Batîr Ecologique, Paris, France (November 2009)
- Hout & Groen Wonen, Antwerp, Belgium (November 2009)
- Construire au naturel, Lille, France (November 2009)
- Batibouw, Brussels, Belgium (February 2010)
- Building Business in the South East, Kent, UK (February, 2010)
- EcoBuild, London, UK (March 2010)
- Bauen & Wohnen, Muenster, Germany (March 2010)
- Nordbat, Lille, France (March 2010)
- Kent 2020, Maidstone Kent, UK (April 2010)
- Environord, eco-materials conference, Lille, France (June 2010)
- Passief House Happening, Brussels, Belgium (September 2010)
- Batibouw, Brussels, Belgium (March 2011)
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