Environmental Impact of Brick, Stone and Concrete

This report provides a review of how brick, stone and concrete materials have been assessed within the current edition of The Green Guide to Specification, including the application of the Environmental Profiles Methodology that underlies The Green Guide. This report aims to provide manufacturers and specifiers with a general understanding of the approach and decisions that have been made when applying the Environmental Profiles Methodology to these materials. The major impacts and opportunities for using brick, stone and concrete over their whole life cycle are discussed and opportunities for improvements to the environmental performance of these materials are identified. This report has been produced as part of a series providing background information on the production of The Green Guide to Specification. Many of the other reports in the series that focus on specific materials may also be of use when considering the environmental impact of construction products.

1 Introduction. 2 Sector Overview. 3 Historical and Geographical Changes. 4Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Profiles and The Green Guide. 5 Applying the Updated Environmental Profiles Methodology to Brick, Stone and Concrete. 6 Key Impacts for the Sector. 7 Key Opportunities for the Sector. 8 Where More Data is Required. 9 Conclusion. 10 Glossary. 11 References and Sources.

BRE, UK