With decarbonization legislation continuing to tighten in the United Kingdom, a polymer specialist company has analyzed the CO2 emissions accrued from transporting sewer pipework to construction sites.
The company, The REHAU Group, finds that the transportation of polymer pipework causes lower emissions than the transportation of clay or concrete pipework. Based on data from the CarbonCare emissions calculator and informed by BS EN 16258 standards for environmental management, the company’s analysis approximates the weight of polymer against traditional system materials using industry averages.
The sustainability exercise uses a typical journey from London to Manchester to estimate transportation emissions in two scenarios — first comparing polymer against clay sewer pipes, and then against concrete.
The analysis claims that polymer sewer pipes can cut carbon emissions by up to 85 percent against clay for the sample projects that the company reviewed. For concrete, the comparison was starker still: with the plastic pipes reducing carbon emissions from freight by up to 92 percent.
As the construction sector reviews their processes to see how to best decarbonize, material use and associated carbon emissions are coming under the spotlight, explains Steve Richmond, head of marketing and technical at REHAU Building Solutions.
“The whole construction industry is in a process of rapid decarbonization, and while this is welcome news, there are certain processes that are being overlooked as part of this,” says Richmond. “Material transportation is a great example of a topic that does not get the consideration it deserves, as carbon emissions are often only measured once products are on site.”
He continued: “However, this should not be the case — all sewer pipework used on utility projects must arrive at sewer construction projects through some form of freight, even if these parts are made in the UK. It is therefore crucial that specifiers select lighter, high-performance materials and solutions if they are to further reduce emissions in line with stringent sustainability targets.”
“All organizations in the supply chain must therefore be aware of the savings available through opting for less cumbersome materials,” says Richmond. “We need to provide additional data on parts used across an entire project, including emissions they accrue during material transportation, as well as on-site.”
