Cast iron and copper more sustainable than modern materials
11 March 2009
The whole life cost of copper and cast iron rainwater products is a third of that of PVC and Aluminium over a 100 year life cycle, according to a report commissioned by Tuscan Foundry Products.
Results showed that copper and cast iron have higher capital costs than PVC and aluminium but their whole life costs over a 100 year life cycle are only 35% of that of PVC and aluminium. The report demonstrates that both materials also have a significantly lower impact in terms of energy consumption and CO2 emissions than PVC and aluminium.
By using base data, the report, written by Tim Pullen, eco-editor for Homebuilding and Renovating magazine, compares the key issues relating to each material over a 100 year life cycle for a standard house.
• Installation cycle (the number of times the product will need to be replaced)
• Embodied Energy MJ (energy needed for procuring raw material, manufacture and transport of the finished product based on installation cycle)
• Embodied CO2 (amount of C02 emissions based on installation cycle)
• Estimated maintenance and repair costs based on installation cycle (excluding labour costs)
• Whole life cost (capital cost plus cost of maintenance, repair and replacement over a100 year life cycle)
“The disposable age, so far as houses are concerned, is over. The ‘Lifetime Homes’ section embodied in the Government’s Code of Sustainable Homes (compulsory for new houses from April 2008), encourages the builder to design a house and use materials that will serve the needs of the occupier for his/her whole life; ” says Tim Pullen.
From an environmental aspect, the report shows that cast iron and copper are much greener than modern materials. 80% of cast iron is recycled, 55% of copper is recycled and only 33% of aluminium is recycled. Due to the complex procedure involved in recycling PVC, there are no reported post consumer recycling plants in the UK.
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