NZ Green Building Council Recognises Best Practice PVC Point

8 May 2012

New Zealand Green Building Council Recognises Best Practice PVC Points

The New Zealand Plastics Industry Pipes Association (PIPA) is pleased to announce that, after extensive consultation, the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) has introduced a revised PVC Credit which awards Green Star points for PVC pipe complying with Best Practice Guidelines for PVC in the Built Environment. Green Star is the predominant environmental rating tool for New Zealand buildings. The new credit will become effective from the 1st of July 2012.

The Best Practice Guidelines for PVC in the Built Environment were developed by the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) PVC Expert Reference Panel and the GBCA as part of the Australian ‘PVC Minimisation’ credit review. The NZGBC states that adopting ‘the revised PVC Credit allows for the opportunity to minimise the environmental and health risk impacts of the PVC life cycle by the inclusion of minimum compliance requirements in [the] PVC manufacture and end of life management of PVC product.’

PIPA members are currently obtaining independent third-party verification to demonstrate that their products fully comply with the Best Practice Guidelines and hope to have certified product available to market by the 1st of July this year. This verification will provide the New Zealand construction market with a simple way of ensuring they are specifying PVC products that have been manufactured, and can be reclaimed for recycling, in accordance with environmental best practice.

To demonstrate compliance PIPA members will provide either:

1. An audit compliance certificate issued within the past six months by a JASANZ (or equivalent) accredited certification body providing written assurance of compliance with the Guidelines and their inclusion within an Environmental Management System (EMS): ISO 14001, or

2. A Product Declaration and audit certificate: that the producer-specific and product performance-specific criteria of the Best Practice Guidelines for PVC have been met for a specific product that has been independently audited within the past six months by either an accredited auditor registered by RABQSA or another equivalent national or international auditor, or a JAS-ANZ (or equivalent) accredited certification body.

As part of the commitment to meeting these requirements a PVC pipe recycling service can now be accessed via PIPA members in Auckland, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Ashburton.

For more detail on the availability of Green Star certified PVC pipe or to access recycling services please contact our members directly via their websites:

www.iplex.co.nz
www.marley.co.nz
www.rxplastics.co.nz

Further Information:

New Green Star Materials 4 – PVC Clause
Literature Review and Best Practice Guidelines for the Life Cycle of PVC Building Products - Provides the conclusions of the PVC credit review. The Best Practice Guidelines for PVC in the Built Environment are provided in section 7.0 of this report.
Auditor Verification Guidance
New Zealand Green Building Council Fact Sheet on PVC

www.pipa.org.nz

ENDS

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