Helping to make sustainable choices easier

Celebrating World Green Building Week 2017, Dulux Trade has strengthened its position as a green market leader in the commercial sector by launching two significant developments to help specifiers achieve improved sustainability. The first is a guide on how to comply with the paints and coatings requirements in the Well Building Standard as well as extending its range of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

The Well Building Standard is the most recent EAM (Environmental Assessment Method) to be adopted by the construction industry. It has become a popular talking point as sustainability emerges as an essential consideration for every project.

As health and wellbeing become an increasingly important consideration within the built environment, the standard promotes the concept that the wellbeing of individuals should be central to the design, development and maintenance of buildings. With this evolving focus on health and wellbeing, Dulux Trade has now completed its compliance statement on how best to comply with Well Standard requirements in relation to paints and coatings.

In order to recognise and encourage a healthy internal environment, the Well Building Standard requires the use of low VOC products and intelligent use of colour. Dulux Trade has produced best practice guidelines that can be used as a reference point for specifiers looking to incorporate the Well Building Standard into their next project. It includes advice in relation to the following sections:

'Air 01- Part 1' Q2 2017

'Air 04- Part 1' Q2 2017

'Air 11- Part 1' Q2 2017

'Air 25- Part 1' Q2 2017

'Air 25- Part 4' Q2 2017

'Light 59- Part 1' Q2 2017

'Light 64- Part 3' Q2 2017

In conjunction with this, Dulux Trade has also renewed and extended its Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) offering, with over 20 available for a range of products. The EPD documents are easily accessible on the Dulux Trade website and provide extensive product information to enable specifiers to make an informed decision when improving their sustainability performance.

EPD's examine the environmental impact of 1m2 of applied paint over its full life cycle. They do not simply outline the manufacture of the product, but also the environmental impact throughout every stage of its life cycle, including the toxicity linked to the product and the associated air emissions.

These documents facilitate the production of paint specifications that have a lower environmental impact whilst having a positive impact on building users. Duncan Lochhead, Commercial Sustainability Manager at Dulux Trade explained, "We aim to help specifiers design smarter, more sustainable spaces. These tools not only provide useful information on improving sustainability onsite, but can also ensure specifiers comply with building standards."

The Well Building Standard compliance guide is the most recent addition to Dulux Trade's sustainability policies, with an array of documentation created to help specifiers make sustainable decisions.

To view Dulux Trade's EPD range, please visit www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/products/datasheets

To find out more about Dulux Trade's sustainability policies, please visit www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/products/sustainability-policies