T
he construction sector is the
second largest consumer of plastics
behind retail, however the industry is
now starting to focus on ways in which
it can improve its sustainability and
green-credentials.
A way in which this can be achieved is
replacing plastic and PVCu products,
such as doors and windows, with timber
alternatives. However, there is potentially a
real danger of unintended consequences
from making the switch, especially if the
replacement products don’t reduce the
environmental impact.
One way in which to check the
sustainability of timber products is through
life cycle analysis and Environmental
Product Declarations, as well as chain of
custody certifications.
Technology can now be used to target the
tracking of timber as it moves through the
supply chain to guarantee authenticity of
the timber’s origin, while other technologies
focus on aggregating, analysing, visualising
and verifying supply chain information.
However, both are still quite rare within
the industry.
More is now being done to highlight
the importance of using sustainable
products within construction. The WWF
(2020) accord on biodiversity has gained
significant traction within the EU, and
has resulted in stepped up efforts when it
comes to implementing strong nature
and environmental laws, including
timber logging.
The new reality is that wooden windows
and doors are kinder to the environment,
biodegradable and absorb CO 2 from the
atmosphere. Recent studies have found that
when properly protected with paint or
woodstain, timber windows and doors lastGavin Knowles of Howarth Timber & Building Supplies on why scrutiny needs to be
applied to ensure correct product specification, which is also being applied to the industry
Looking past the uncertainty
29ADF AUGUST 2019 WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK