Environmental Labelling
The Green Guide provides a simple on-line guide (thegreenguide.org.uk) to the environmental impacts of building materials. It is part of BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) an accredited environmental rating scheme for buildings. The Green Guide contains more than 1200 specifications (e.g. for external walls, roofs) used in buildings.
It summarises the relative environmental impacts of construction materials commonly used in buildings and is based on an A+ to E ranking system, where A+ represents the best environmental performance / least environmental impact, and E the worst environmental performance / most environmental impact.
The Green Guide ratings are used to quantify the material credits in BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes. Details of BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes are available online at breeam.org.
Many standard elemental specifications are A+ rated for example the standard external wall specification ‘Brick on outer leaf, insulation, aircrete blockwork innerleaf, cement mortar, plaster, paint’ is A+ rated.
| Building type | Category/Element | |
| Domestic | Roof Construction | Pitched roof timber construction |
| Structurally insulated timber panel system with OSB/3 each side, roofing underlay, counter battens, battens and concrete interlocking tiles | ||
| Retail | Insulation | Insulation |
|
Cavity blown glass wool insulation - density 17kg/m3 | ||
| Building type | Category | Sub category | Element |
| Industrial | External wall construction | Brick, stone and block work, cavity wall. | Brick or stone block work, cavity wall. |
| Brick on outer leaf, insulation, aircrete, block work, inner leaf, cement mortar, plaster, paint. | |||
The Green Guide ratings are used to quantify the material credits in
Many standard elemental specifications are A rated, these include:
Material
Brick outer leaf, insulation, dense blockwork inner leaf, plasterboard
Aluminium insulated composite cladding, galvanised steel rails, dense blockwork, plasterboard
Internal Walls
Steel/timber stud, plasterboard, wool insulation, paint
Aerated block, plasterboard, paint
Roofing
Flat roof, inverted deck: Galvanised steel deck, asphalt, insulation, paving slabs
Pitched roof: concrete tiles, battens, sarking felt, on timber roof structure with insulation between rafters
Floor Finish
Hardboard sheathing, linoleum
Wool/nylon carpet, natural fibre underlay