Product certificates

Certification of a product is done through the Life Cycle Analysis method. The LCA is an objective process that allows us to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a product, process, or activity, identifying and quantifying both the use of matter and energy and the emissions in the environment, to determine the impact of this use of resources and these emissions, and to evaluate and implement environmental improvement strategies.

Typologies of environmental assessments of internationally standardized products.

Environmental label of type I.

The eco-labels are granted by an independent third party, which acts as certifying entity. This system complies with the specific requirements of the ISO 14024 standard.

In the boundary of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the competent body for the granting of ecological labels type I is the General Directorate of Environmental Quality of the Department of Environment and Housing. Specifically, it has competence in the granting of the Environmental Quality Guarantee Label and the European Union Eco-label.

Environmental label of type II.

Voluntary environmental qualification system that officially identifies and certifies (ISO 14021) that certain products or services have a minor impact on the environment, considering their entire life cycle. The eco-labeled products and services meet strict environmental criteria previously established.

Environmental label of type III.

An EPD is a certified environmental statement made in accordance with the international standard ISO 14025 (Environmental Statements Type III). It is an environmental product / service information based on life cycle analysis (LCA) and other relevant information, in compliance with the standard.

Verification programs by third parties

Typologies of product health assessments.

A health product declaration (HPD) is a document shared by manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of the product and the health hazards associated with these ingredients.

It can be certified by a third.

Verification programs by third parties:

Environmental and health product declarations (EHPD)

The Association of Industries of Products of the Construction (AIPC), French standardization, has published an experimental standard [XP P01-010] that contains two parts on the content of environmental and health information of construction products, applying the concepts of the standards EN ISO 14040, EN ISO 14020 and EN ISO 140401 to the construction products.

The environment represents a major problem for the European Union and is systematically taken into account in all European sectorial scales. Therefore, the inclusion of the environmental and health component in the technical characteristics of construction products becomes unavoidable.

For this reason, AFNOR has prepared an “Environmental and Health Declaration Program”, which allows to provide a joint and verified environmental and health declaration.

Third party verification program:

INIES-EHPD Program (French program)

GBM owns the “GaBi from thinkstep” license that it uses as a tool to carry out environmental and health assessments of materials and products. It is the tool used to make the evaluations (Type I, Type II, EPDs and HPDs).

BRE Environmental & Sustainability Standard (BES 6001)

Certification which evaluates manufacturing in a responsible manner (acquisition or extraction of raw materials, safety and hygiene, economic management, etc.) of the products and their manufacturer.

The company is required to obtain or to possess of the certifications:

ISO 9001
ISO 14001
OHSAS
CSR

Materials Platform

The introduction of the product is included in the GBCe Materials Platform database.

GBM is member of the group of experts of the GBCI and of the group of advisers of the Platform of Materials of the GBCe destined to the development of technical cards and evidences in sustainability of materials for the construction. Participates in the drafting of key environmental aspects focused on architectural projects for the Diputación de Barcelona.

Members of the GBM team are PhDs or PhD students in various studies of construction, environment, and sustainability.

Writers and reviewers of scientific articles in scientific journals.

We are professionals of the GBCe platform.