Revised PVC Credit

Officially Released

After much anticipation we are pleased to announce we have officially released our revised PVC Credit which includes new and improved interactive Credit Templates.

Projects which register for Green Star NZ Certification up to 1 July 2012 may choose to use either the original PVC Credit (2009) or the revised PVC Credit (2012). Projects registering from 1 July 2012 onwards must use the revised PVC Credit (2012).

We would like to thank the PVC Industry who have been in consultation with us throughout the entire review process and have provided initiatives and directions for including Best Practice PVC in the Green Star rating tools.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

During 2010 and 2011, NZGBC undertook a review of the Green Star NZ PVC Credit. This has resulted in the release of a revised Credit- MAT-4 PVC (2012).

The revised PVC credit encourages the use of PVC material which adheres to Best Practice Guidelines and recognises the use of alternative materials.

The Best Practice Guidelines for PVC in the Built Environment is a result of the extensive research done on PVC by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). A copy of the Best Practice Guidelines in the Built Environment is available here.

The Guidelines address opportunities for the minimisation of environmental and health risk impacts of the PVC life cycle, by stipulating best practice in risk avoidance and management in the manufacturing of Chlorine, EDC, VCM and PVC resin. Guidelines are also given for best practice in risk avoidance and management in the manufacturing of PVC products.

Under the revised PVC credit, projects will be able to claim up to three points towards their Green Star rating if the common uses (pipes, conduit, wire, cable insulation, flooring and cladding products) of PVC in the building meet the Best Practice Guidelines and/or are non-PVC material.

Documenting Compliance of a PVC product to the requirements of the guidelines can be demonstrated using three pathways: Environmental Management System (EMS), Manufacturers Declaration and Product Certification. The GBCA have released an Auditor Verification Guidance document which contains information on the three pathways and can be found here.