97 From choice of materials to the finished product, interior designers for cruise ships and ferries face many decision points in the procurement process that will affect the sustainability of their work. These include considering which raw materials to use, how the materials will be transported, how to dispose of waste during construction, and the environmental impact of the materials in situ. Material transparency is essential if designers are to choose products that do not have hidden impacts such as high embodied carbon or toxic ingredients. Environmental product declarations (EPDs) can help in this regard by showing the environmental impacts of producing and disposing of a product. Likewise, health product declarations (HPDs) disclose ingredients and their toxicity profiles.1 Strategies to narrow down the range of choices include opting for bio-based materials such as wood, cork, linoleum, wool and bamboo, which have lower upfront embodied carbon and can store carbon over the building life, and avoiding insulation products with high plastic content. Salvaged and refurbished materials can also help lower the overall carbon footprint of ship interiors. These can often be sourced from the ship itself or from other assets owned by the client, leading to cost savings as well as more sustainable outcomes. “Designing and specifying materials with end-of-life in mind increases the likelihood of reuse, and it reduces (or eliminates) end-of-life emissions from demolition, transportation, and waste processing,” is the advice of the Carbon Leadership Forum.2 1 Source: BuildingGreen, Material Transparency 2 Source: Carbon Leadership Forum, AIA-CLF Embodies Carbon Toolkit Supply chain optimisation criteria The LEED 4.1 certification system advises sourcing from manufacturers that engage in validated and robust safety, health, hazard, and risk programs which document at least 99 per cent (by weight) of the ingredients they use and have independent third party verification of their supply chain. Verified processes must be in place to: • Communicate and transparently prioritise chemical ingredients along the supply chain according to available hazard, exposure and use information to identify those that require more detailed evaluation • Identify, document, and communicate information on health, safety and environmental characteristics of chemical ingredients • Implement measures to manage the health, safety and environmental hazard and risk of chemical ingredients • Optimise health, safety and environmental impacts when designing and improving chemical ingredients • Communicate, receive and evaluate chemical ingredient safety and stewardship information along the supply chain. Source: US Green Building Council, LEED v4.1 Operation & Maintenance
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