Photo © Bigstock.com
The Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI) recently released the first annual North American Precast Concrete Sustainable Plant Program (NAPCSPP) report.
The goal is to reduce environmental impact at the manufacturing level. It was designed to encourage continuous improvement in the plants and allow individual plants to benchmark against industry peers. It is a joint initiative between CPCI, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI), and the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA).
PCI members have been reporting environmental impacts for 18 months and this report includes moving averages from the beginning of the first quarter in 2015. Energy, materials, and transportation data are tracked, and results are reported in the following categories:
- carbon dioxide equivalent (global warming potential [GWP]);
- total primary energy; and
- water consumption.
“PCI producer members participating in the NAPCSPP are showing leadership by actively monitoring and reporting environmental footprint indicators,” said Emily Lorenz, sustainability manager at PCI. “These producers recognize that to make improvements, they must first benchmark and track performance.”
