Alliance for Sustainable Building Products targets 'unnecessary use of plastics' in construction
A new report questions 'continued reliance on materials whose chemical additives ...carry well-evidenced health and environmental risks'.
The report positions plastic-related emissions as part of a broader and well-recognised indoor air quality challenge, says the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products
© Casezy idea/shutterstockThe Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) position on plastics in construction is one of reduction, it states, not elimination.
It says, 'We recognise that plastics have genuine and, in some cases, irreplaceable applications in the built environment. Intelligent airtightness and vapour control membranes, for example, perform functions that currently have no viable natural alternative and are key components of the high-performance, low-energy buildings ASBP champions.
'Similarly, many natural and bio-based insulation products, including those made by ASBP members, incorporate plastic binders, typically recycled PET fibre, to aid durability, dimensional stability, and ease of handling.
'What we oppose is the unnecessary use of plastics where better alternatives exist, and continued reliance on materials whose chemical additives, particularly phthalates, PVC plasticisers, and bisphenols, carry well-evidenced health and environmental risks.'
The report highlights key sources of exposure, the evidence, and presents practical alternatives.
It includes detailed product tables outlining plastic and chemical content, potential release pathways, and alternative material options.
This report was developed by the ASBP as part of its Reducing Plastics in Construction Group.
