Construcciones Yamaro: Plascorp releases EPDs for PVC-U pressure pipes
Supporting Australia’s shift toward lower-carbon, data-driven construction, Plascorp has released Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its PVC-U pressure pipe range. Published through EPD Hub and compliant with EN 15804+A2 and ISO 14025, the declarations provide designers, utilities and civil contractors with third-party-verified insights into the environmental performance of PVC-U pressure pipes manufactured in Australia.
As infrastructure delivery faces increasing scrutiny for embodied and operational carbon impacts, transparent product data has become an essential tool for responsible material selection. The new EPDs enable project teams to evaluate lifecycle impacts across raw materials, manufacturing, transport, installation and end-of-life scenarios for the PN6–PN18 pressure pipe range, including both rubber ring joint and solvent weld joint systems.
The EPDs are in addition to the Best Environmental Practice (BEP) PVC certification, audited and verified by an independent third party, for the PVC-U range and conduits.
Delivering measurable carbon data
The EPDs were developed using One Click LCA and verified by an independent external auditor. Results confirm a global warming potential (GWP-fossil) of 3.61kg CO₂e per kilogram of product across A1–A3 (cradle-to-gate study). The study is based on 12 months of production data from the Altona North manufacturing facility and includes representative modelling for the full product range.
Key environmental metrics disclosed in the EPDs include:
- Total energy use (A1–A3): 13.3 kilowatt-hours per kg
- GWP-total (A1–A3): 3.42kg CO₂e
- Secondary material use: 1.52 per cent
- Net freshwater use: 0.03 cubic metres
- Zero REACH SVHC substances > 0.1 per cent
The EPDs also demonstrate the use of contracted renewable electricity through verified Guarantees of Origin (GOs/RECs), which supports ongoing alignment with low-carbon manufacturing pathways for the duration of the EPD’s validity.
Supporting future-focused infrastructure
The Plascorp facility at Altona North has operated since 1961. PVC-U pressure pipes are manufactured from a consistent raw material blend extruded across a range of diameters and wall thicknesses.
The EPDs outline several performance and manufacturing advantages including:
- High material stability and corrosion resistance;
- no plasticisers present (unplasticised PVC);
- consistent extrusion rates supporting reliable lifecycle modelling;
- around 4 per cent production loss, which is mostly recycled into non-pressure products; and
- packaging designed for reuse and recycling with minimal waste sent to landfill.
PVC-U pressure pipes are typically installed underground and remain in situ at end-of-life due to their inert nature and the absence of economic or environmental drivers for excavation. The EPDs reflect this current industry practice.
Strengthening industry transparency
For more than six decades Plascorp has supplied civil, industrial and water infrastructure sectors throughout Australia and New Zealand. The release of the new EPDs represents an advancement in transparency and environmental reporting.
“Across the construction, infrastructure and water sectors, project partners are now demanding verifiable environmental data rather than assumptions,” says Michael Loudovaris, executive director at Plascorp. “EPDs give engineers, councils and contractors the information needed to make informed material choices that align with long-term carbon reduction goals.”
As governments adopt embodied carbon targets and infrastructure rating schemes place greater emphasis on verified data, the new EPDs provide a reference point for low-carbon project planning.
The transition to low-carbon construction
The shift toward transparent, measurable procurement is accelerating across the construction and infrastructure industries. The new EPDs support this transition by enabling customers to compare materials, evaluate trade-offs and model whole-of-life performance in line with circular economy principles.
The EPDs are valid until June 2030 and can be accessed here.
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