O.C.O Technology gains EPD for its carbon negative aggregate
O.C.O Technology has achieved a sought-after Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its world-leading carbon negative manufactured limestone (M-LS) aggregate.
The EPD, which is independently verified, assesses the environmental impact of a product through its lifecycle, including raw material supply, transport, and manufacturing.
EPDs are increasingly being used in civil engineering projects and building rating schemes as architects and specifiers seek to deliver ‘greener’ buildings. Having an EPD allows them to compare products in terms of their whole-life sustainability, something seen as increasingly important in meeting compliance and certification schemes.
Dr Peter Gunning, O.C.O Technology’s Head of Research & Development, says: “Gaining this EPD gives us an internationally-recognised certification for the environmental credentials of our product and demonstrates to our customers – including specifiers and the regulatory authorities – that we are making a valuable contribution towards mitigating climate change and boosting the circular economy,” he said.
“COP26 underlined the increasing demand for the construction industry to consider zero carbon or low carbon products. By going one step further with a proven carbon negative aggregate, we believe we are uniquely placed to help the sector respond to those demands and become an important part of building a greener future.”
Dr Gunning paid tribute to the “significant” collaboration of the sustainability team at British Precast, during what he described as a “very thorough and detailed” process to gain the EPD.
O.C.O is an Associate Member of British Precast and was the first organisation to take advantage of its new MPA EPD Tool, provided by OneClick LCA. This uses a pre-verified web-based platform to bring together the lifecycle assessment of the product and generate the EPD.
Matthew Butcher, Sustainability Executive from British Precast said: “We are pleased to have been able to assist one of our associate members in developing the EPD and utilising the tool. The O.C.O EPD is the first to have been published using the new tool and we hope it will be the first of many as the concrete sector continues to set out its low carbon credentials.”
O.C.O Technology was the first company to manufacture a truly carbon negative artificial aggregate on a commercial scale. To date, it has produced well over one million tonnes of the material – enough to build almost 10,000 three-bedroom houses – and estimates that every year it currently captures the same amount of carbon as would be achieved by planting four million trees a year.
M-LS already holds End of Waste (EoW) approval from the UK Environment Agency. O.C.O was the first company in Europe to achieve this for an APCr waste stream, securing the aggregate’s position as a perfect example of the circular economy in action.