Renderplas Top of the Eco Tree

In a recent independent environmental profile report Renderplas PVCu beads achieved the top eco rating available to beading products on the UK construction market. In the report - carried out by Mtech Consult using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) guidelines published by the BRE - Renderplas products, for rendering, plastering and drylining applications, received an “excellent” Ecopoint rating of just 0.004 per kg installed. Environmental Benefit of Recycled PVCu The report concluded that the remarkable Ecopoint score is largely achieved because 98% of the PVCu used to make Renderplas beads comes from recycled material. The environmental impact of using a typical PVC extrusion with no recycled material, compared to a Renderplas Bead is six times worse, based on Ecopoint score simulations carried out in the study. And the gap in the Ecopoint values, compared with galvanised or stainless steel beads, would be even greater again given a number of factors, including the energy required to recycle steel which demands heats of between 1200ºC and 1900ºC to be reached, the process of galvanization or secondary process to turn it into stainless steel, and the high energy required to cold work the steel into strips; and all of that has to happen before the products are actually manufactured. According to Managing Director of Renderplas, Daniel Leedham-Green, the results prove the environmental case for PVCu beads over steel. “This endorses what we’ve always claimed,” he says, “that our products offer the best environmental credentials in their market.” And when it comes to sustainability he says that it is important for the industry to recognise the difference between a Renderplas bead and PVCu beads in general. “We keep our use of virgin material to an absolute minimum. Our white trade range, for example, is entirely constructed from recycled PVCu. Right across the board our products are made from 98% recycled material, all offcuts are recycled, and all of the PVCu we use is recyclable when buildings are deconstructed. With such impressive green credentials, Renderplas can make a significant contribution to the environmental performance of finished walls, without compromising their construction. Indeed, our ultra strong, ultra light Powerbead is proven to outperform stainless steel in every way.”