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Sustainability
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development has become one of the buzzwords
of the last decade. It is enshrined in government and private sector
policies internationally. There are at least 250 published definitions
of which the most generally accepted is:
“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own.”
The variety of definitions
shows that the concept is contestable. There is still a lot of controversy
when it comes to exploring the concept in depth.
Within the framework
of ‘sustainable development’ and of more immediate
relevance to insulated panels is the concept of sustainable construction and
the part insulated panels play in the whole sustainability equation.
| Sustainable
Construction |
| In addition to their obvious use as
a weather shield, the primary function of insulated panels is Energy
Conservation. PIR panels are designed using the highest performing
and most efficient insulation, uniquely contributing to sustainable
construction. |
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Maximum energy conservation for least thickness and
weight |
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Low weight leads to lower levels of supporting steelwork
or building
framework |
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Insulation performance is built-in and guaranteed for
the life of the
panel |
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Panel-to-panel joints are factory engineered for
tightness and low air leakage. (Air leakage is a major factor in
the energy loss from buildings.) |
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Panel manufacturers present a range of details
and accessories so that the panel system as a whole contributes to
the energy conservation equation. |
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Panels are delivered to site as single-piece
units enabling construction times to be reduced by up to 60% and
with resultant savings of power, energy, water and waste. |
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PIR/PUR panels and the industry
play a crucial role in improving the environmental performance
of buildings, delivering a sustainable construction both now
and for the future. |
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End of life
The treatment and disposal of construction waste has grown in emphasis
over recent years due to European and other legislation and the concerns
regarding the limited availability of landfill sites.
EPIC and its members
take the issue of end of life very seriously and the manufacturers within
EPIC have conducted extensive research and trials to identify all the
potential ‘end of life’ options that
are practical, feasible and economic.
The aim of this piece is to educate
and inform people on the available options for end of life disposal of
insulated panels.
Insulation
Recycling of insulation core from all types of metal cladding
systems is problematic.
Research has concluded that current demolition practice
generally results in the insulation going to landfill – whether
it be PUR, PIR, rock fibre or glass fibre.
End of life options for Insulated
Panels produced since 2004 including current production
Re-use
Studies into the re-use of panels have indicated that the potential
for reuse from both an economic and technical point of view can be limited
by some factors however members of EPIC have demonstrated cases where
insulated panels have been re-used typically on agricultural type buildings
where aesthetics are not vitally important.
| Conventional
UK shredding facilities |
| Shredder plants offer a proven solution
for dealing with insulated panels with non-ozone depleting blowing
agents and are suitable for non-ODS panels, which can be safely processed
as a co-feed with other scrap materials. |
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The cost of processing panels through
shredder plants is approximately cost neutral with the transport
costs from site being covered by the scrap value of the steel. Economics
for specific buildings will be dependant on transport distances. |
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Conventional commercial shredder plants
do not offer the opportunity of recycling the insulation core but
a dedicated shredder facility does have the potential to offer the
opportunity for collecting the insulation core for recycling. This
development is anticipated in the future |
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Note. Conventional ferrous shredding facilities
in the UK process tens of thousands of tonnes of products such as
vehicles, general scrap metal and large household appliances every
year. They are also used by manufacturers as a method for disposal
of prototype and reject materials to prevent them reaching the general
market place. |
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Shredders work by pulverising materials
using rapidly flailing hammers with rotor diameters up to 3 metres
driven by large motors up to 10000hp. Sophisticated control systems,
in conjunction with cyclone technology, ensure clean separation of
metal from plastics and other non-metallic components. Metal goes
for recycling whilst the non-metallic waste is recycled where possible
or sent to landfill. |
Legacy – End of life options for Insulated Panels produced prior to
2004
Since January 2004 all insulated panels produced including current
production are classed as non-hazardous and do not contain CFCs or HCFCs
(ODS). For panels manufactured before 2004 using ODS blowing agents,
current legislation governing the recovery of Ozone Depleting Substances
(ODS) – EC Regulation 2037/2000 – requires recovery of ODS to be carried
out only ‘where practicable’.
A commercial service for dealing responsibly
with the legacy of CFC and HCFC containing insulated panels at their end
of life is now available.
EPIC members have completed successful trials
that demonstrate the feasibility of using existing refrigerator recycling
plants for the recovery of blowing agents from PUR/PIR steel-faced Insulated
Panels including one project of over 7000m² of CFC containing roof
panel.
Fridge recycling plants, like conventional shredder plants, allow
the steel to be recovered for scrap thereby helping to offset processing
and transport costs. A further major advantage of fridge recycling plants
is that the recovered foam is clean and dry – in the ideal form
for possible recycling/reprocessing, which although technically feasible
is not commercially available at present. The use of fridge plant processing
goes a long way towards establishing a ‘closed-loop’ resources
flow in the future, potentially avoiding landfill. It deals with the
significant aspects of the potential waste flow arising from the recovery
of insulated panels at the end of their life.
| Summary |
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Insulated panel systems arrive on
site as complete, factory prepared units, specific panel sizes and
quantities can be specified and the systems require only a single
fix process. All of these attributes contribute to greatly reducing
the potential for site waste, as well as speeding up construction
time and this also ensures they are relatively easy to take off a
building and transport to an appropriate recovery centre. |
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Insulated panels also provide extremely
thermally effective, airtight and durable building envelope solutions,
reducing energy consumption over considerable periods of time. The
fact that the panels can stand the test of time also reduces the
number of times a building has to be maintained or replaced, thereby
reducing waste from refurbishment. |
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Insulated panels produced since 2004
including current production are classed as non-hazardous and do
not contain ODS allowing for cost neutral disposal methods. |
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Insulated Panels with a rigid insulating core
have been used on buildings from the mid 1970s, initially in relatively
small volumes but growing significantly throughout the 1980s. This
means as far as end of life options are concerned that few insulated
panels are likely to reach the waste stream prior to 2015. |
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A commercial service for dealing responsibly with
the legacy of CFC and HCFC containing insulated panels at their end
of life is now available through the use of fridge recycling plants. |
Service for Recycling Insulated Panels
Blue Castle Business Services
offer a simple, cost-effective route for recycling insulated panels.
Blue Castle offer a range of recycling options to suit the specific requirements
as determined by the type of panel and the location of the project and
can assist in the correct implementation of any new recycling projects
or expanding your current recycling programme.
Contact Blue Castle Business
Services for more information Tel: 0871 7340810 www.blue-castle.co.uk
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Also in this section:
Building regulations | Air
tightness testing | EPIC
guide to building regulations |
