Press release

  • The environmental product declaration makes the ecological properties of PLEXIGLAS® solid sheets transparent.

  • Builders, planners, and experts can use the environmental product declarations as verifiable base data.

  • PLEXIGLAS® solid sheets contribute to sustainable construction.

The Institut Bauen und Umwelt e. V. (IBU) has issued an environmental product declaration (EPD) for PLEXIGLAS® solid sheets. This describes the environmental impacts of the branded acrylic and is therefore a transparent, independent, and verifiable source for, among others, builders and architects wanting to compare various products in the planning phase. The information also serves, for example, as a base for a sustainability assessment of structures. 'The environmental compatibility and sustainability of products is becoming increasingly important, particularly in the construction industry; this is due to enhanced public awareness and also to current building regulations,' says Martin Berkenkopf, who as the project leader in Evonik's Business Line Acrylic Products was responsible for drafting the EPD. 'So we decided to transparently disclose the ecological properties of our PLEXIGLAS® solid sheets. Their durability, for example, can contribute to sustainable construction.' Like all EPDs the environmental product declaration for PLEXIGLAS® solid sheets is valid for five years, and can be downloaded free of cost from the IBU website: https://ibu-epd.com/en/published-epds/

Sustainability through durability

Over ten pages, the environmental product declaration presents a life cycle analysis for production of PLEXIGLAS® solid sheets as well as indicators for its environmental impacts. The branded acrylic, for example, has high aging and weathering resistance, permitting lifetimes of up to 30 years and more in exterior applications such as noise barriers and roofing. 'Durable components need not be replaced as frequently, and this avoids the need to prematurely produce, and purchase a new product for the same application,' says Berkenkopf. 'In this way PLEXIGLAS® construction products contribute directly toward conserving resources.'

Certification of ecological properties

The environmental product declaration for PLEXIGLAS® solid sheets is in fact the second certification of their ecological properties. Back in 2014, an initial environmental product declaration was developed in the form of a manufacturer's declaration, whose factual description of all the relevant environmental impacts was already in line with the EPD requirements of the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e. V. 'With the independent technical review of our environmental product declaration by the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e. V. we're now going a step further,' says Berkenkopf. Builders, architects, and planners can use this base data in uniform standards, to calculate the life cycle assessment for a building, for example. EPDs are also required for certifications such as the seal of approval of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) or LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) of the U.S. Green Building Council.

*The IBU environmental product declaration

The Institut Bauen und Umwelt e. V. (IBU) is an association of building product manufacturers who have joined forces to operate an international environmental product declaration program. The IBU is committed to sustainable building and believes that those who market their products as sustainable must also be able to prove this. This is precisely what the construction materials industry is doing in working with the IBU to create environment product declarations (EPDs), internationally recognized and standardized tools for the sustainability certification of buildings. More information is available at https://ibu-epd.com/

About Evonik
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-orientated innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik's corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees. In fiscal 2017, the enterprise generated sales of €14.4 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.36 billion.

About Performance Materials
The Performance Materials Segment is managed by Evonik Performance Materials GmbH. The segment focuses its global activities on developing and manufacturing polymer materials and intermediates, especially for use in agriculture and in the rubber and plastics industry. In 2017, the segment's roughly 4,400 employees generated sales about €3.8 billion.

Disclaimer
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.

PLEXIGLAS® is a registered trademark of Evonik Röhm GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany.

Evonik is a worldwide manufacturer of PMMA products sold under the PLEXIGLAS® trademark on the European, Asian, African and Australian continents and under the ACRYLITE® trademark in the Americas.

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Evonik Industries AG published this content on 14 November 2018 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 14 November 2018 13:13:07 UTC