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Sustainable development criteria for construction material sourcing

Below are the criteria identified along with guidance as to why they are important to the sustainable development issues of material sourcing and the information needed to take them into account in decision making.

They have been developed to raise the awareness of those organisations, which presently source construction materials without reference to issues of wider sustainability, of key issues of sustainability, and to encourage them to take the first steps towards addressing sustainability in their design and procurement activities.

It is suggested that these criteria are used alongside organisations’ standard procurement criteria when comparing different materials of the same quality for the same application.

1. Price per unit delivered to site

This requires the decision maker to consider how prices of different materials compare when evaluating material sourcing options. Price per unit was considered the simplest economic issue to consider in selecting different materials. A low price may be considered a good indicator on economic grounds.

Information needed to take price into account in decision making:

• Price per unit delivered

2. Performance, durability, longevity and recyclability of material

This requires the decision maker to consider a number of issues:

• Whether the performance and quality of the reusable or recycled product is equivalent to that of primary alternatives.
• Whether there are any durability issues relating to the material selected and whether the material is fit for purpose. For example, reused tiles or bricks may have a shorter life expectancy than primary material. Does this fit in with the life expectancy of the construction?
• Whether the recyclability/reusability of the product at the end of its life has been considered and whether the incorporation of recycled or secondary material into the product will have an affect on this.
• Whether the potential of products to be recovered at the end of its life has been taken into account in the design.

Information needed to take performance, durability, longevity and recyclability into account in decision making:

• Material performance specifications
• The life expectancy of the material
• The required working life of the material

3. Employment generated locally (for the basis of this guidance locally could be within 20km of the development site or within the sub-region)

This requires the decision maker to consider whether there are any differences in employment generated locally by different supply options, and whether this is an issue in relation to the development. It may be that the Regional Development Agency has an objective to develop and grow business within the region and that the decision maker wants to take this into account.

The level of employment and its location being generated is an indicator of a range of social and economic issues. Using local products supports local livelihoods and keeps the value of goods within the area, may lead to reduced local poverty and increasing prosperity and regeneration.

Information needed to take employment into account in decision making:

• Location of the supply (where the material is won/ processed). Is this a material that has been generated/ produced locally to the site?

4. Employment outside the local area (for the basis of this guidance outside the local area could be outside a 20 km radius of the development site or outside the sub-region)

This is the reverse to the issue above. This requires the decision maker to consider whether there are any differences in employment generated outside the local area. The level of employment and its location being generated by a scenario is an indicator of social and economic issues.

It may be that different working practices in different localities may lead to differing levels of employment. A higher level of employment in a deprived area might be considered to be making a greater contribution to the social elements of sustainable development than lower employment in a more prosperous area.

5. Road miles generated locally (for the basis of this guidance locally could be within 20km of the development site or within the sub-region)

This requires the decision maker to consider whether there are any differences in the number of road miles generated locally by selecting materials from different sources. This is an issue because of the impacts of road traffic. Options that minimise the amount of road traffic or change the transport mode from road to rail or water would have positive effects on a range of issues including: energy consumption, air pollution (CO, NOx, SO2, particulates), congestion, highways maintenance costs, accidents/child safety.

Information needed to take road miles into account in decision making:

• Where the material is being sourced from and the modes of transport likely to be used.

6. Road tonne miles equivalent outside the local area from its point of production (for the basis of this guidance outside the local area could be outside a 20 km radius of the development site or outside the sub-region)

This requires the decision maker to consider whether there are any differences in the impacts of transport options (outside the local area) for the different material supply; comparing the supply alternatives in terms of transport modes, from point of production to the boundary of the local area.

Distance travelled could be measured in road mile equivalents. This is converting the number of miles travelled by road, rail and water modes into a common scale. This could be achieved through the assumption that 1 tonne road mile has equivalent impacts to approx. 5 rail tonne miles and 6 water tonne miles.

Supply options that reduce the number of tonne road miles equivalents will have a positive benefit on energy consumption, air pollution (CO, NOx, SO2, particulates), congestion, highways maintenance costs, accidents/child safety. Road tonne mile equivalents can be reduced by change in mode of transport. Carrying the same amount of material the same distance by rail or water rather than road can have large positive benefits on the impacts.

Information needed to take road tonne miles into account in decision making:

• Where the material is being sourced from, the quantities transported and the modes of transport likely to be used.

7. Resource depletion

This requires the decision maker to consider whether the material comes from primary, secondary or recycled sources. Primary materials are, in general, a depletion of natural resources, while secondary and recycled avoid depletion. In some cases, such as timber, primary materials may come from a sustainable source.

Information needed to take resource depletion into account in decision making:

• Whether the material is from primary, (primary from sustainable sources) secondary or recycled sources

8. Existence of EMS at the original point of production

This requires the decision maker to consider whether there are any differences in the level of environmental management of the producers of the material. The point of production can be the location of major environmental impacts (transport is evaluated separately). The level of environmental management provides a good indication that all environmental impacts have been considered by the producer, that procedures are in place for their control, and improvements have been targeted.

Information needed to take environmental management into account in decision making:

• Does the organisation involved in producing the material have an environmental management system

9. Existence of H&S system on the direct supply site (this could also be undertaken for the point of production)

This requires the decision maker to consider whether there are any differences in the health and safety management of the different material suppliers. The direct supply site was selected because from an H&S point of view, this is the element of the life cycle that will have a major impact upon the local area.

Information needed to take H&S into account in decision making:

• Does the organisation involved in the direct supply of the material have a H&S system equivalent to OHSAS 18001

10. Existence of Investors in People (IIP) on direct supply site (this could also be undertaken for the point of production)

This requires the decision maker to consider whether there are any differences in the level of good practice for training and development of employees for the different scenarios. The direct supply site was selected because from an IIP point of view this is the element of the life cycle that will have a major impact upon the local area.
Information needed to take IIP into account in decision making:

• Does the organisation involved in the direct supply of the material have a mechanism for training and development of employees formalised in a certified IIP system.

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