British Gypsum has become the first manufacturer in the industry to achieve a BES 6001 ‘Excellent’ rating for its plaster, plasterboard and metal partition systems.
UK manufactured Gyproc plasterboards, Glasroc specialist boards, Thistle plasters, Gypframe metal and Gyproc Cove have all been awarded the highest possible rating to BES 6001. This means that British Gypsum can offer a full system solution, enabling customers to receive more points in environmental certification schemes such as BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method for buildings).
BREEAM awards credits for responsibly sourced materials. The aim of these credits is to encourage the specification and procurement of responsibly sourced materials in construction. To achieve credits under Mat 03: Responsible Sourcing of Materials, applicable materials must be covered by BREEAM recognised environmental management or Responsible Sourcing Certification Schemes.
Achieving BES 6001 ‘Excellent’ means that certified products will achieve Tier Two under MAT 03 in BREEAM 2011, providing 3.5 of a maximum 4 points. It also means that all certified products are Tier One under MAT 2 for Code for Sustainable Homes, making it easier for customers to achieve a higher number of points towards credits at no additional cost.
“Construction professionals are under pressure to demonstrate sustainable practices and procurement whilst maintaining cost efficiency,” said Paul Campbell, Commercial Sector Manager at British Gypsum.
“Sustainability is a priority for almost every building project. As the first in the industry to achieve BES 6001 ‘Excellent’ for a plasterboard and metal partition system, we are able to further support our customers by making a greater contribution to achieving the required BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes standards.”
BES 6001 is an independent audited standard from Building Research Establishment (BRE) which assesses the responsible sourcing of construction products within an organisation’s supply chain.
Created in response to increasing focus on sustainable development by Government and industry, the certification programme makes it easier for specifiers, contractors, housebuilders and their clients to prove and measure the environmental performance of a building whilst meeting assessment and design standards.