BRE LIST sustainable fitout tool

Benefits of using LIST

LIST enables you to understand and reduce the environmental impacts of interior fittings and equipment. It can be used from the concept design phase onwards, maximising the opportunities to improve performance. Using LIST can help to raise awareness of these opportunities for designers and manufacturers to reduce environmental impacts.

It draws on established and well-respected UK and EU datasets such as Ecoinvent and primary industry data, and is informed by BRE’s significant expertise in the field of materials and Life Cycle Assessment.

The other features and benefits include:

• A simple, easy-to-use web-based tool

• Easy comparison of different product designs

• Usable without previous experience with life cycle assessment

• Simple reporting that make it easy to see results

• Results are provided in embodied carbon (kgCO₂eq.) and in Ecopoints, which is the unit of measure used to represent the 13 environmental impacts in the BRE LCA methodology in a single score.

Background

UK retail sales were £278 billion in 2008, of which food stores accounted for £127 billion. At the end of 2007, there were over 297,000 retail outlets, with retailers commonly updating their shopfitting display equipment every three to five years.

Approximately 600,000 tonnes of CO₂eq. are associated with new ambient product displays and customer service furniture procured for the UK each year, over a ten year lease the embodied CO₂eq. from shopfittings may be equivalent to up to 10% of the CO₂eq. emissions from the operational energy use of the store.

Retailers have led the way in sustainability, and have achieved significant recognition for their work. Many have partnered or worked with BRE and other partners to help deliver their aspirations around the built environment. However, to date, there has been little focus on the environmental performances of the loose shop fitting display equipment that is used to sell clothing, homeware and ambient food goods.

When retailers refurbish their stores this is often limited to changing equipment, and much of the old equipment ends up in a skip, and then in a landfill. The equipment is often designed to last much longer than its actual use in the shop. Many shopfitting display equipment designers have led the way in developing exciting and innovative products, but have not yet seriously considered the sustainability of the materials used and the assembly and building of this equipment.

Methodology

Whilst carbon is currently the buzz word in the market place when the issue of sustainability is raised, through their involvement in the project, the partners have become more and more aware that carbon is just one part of a much bigger concern.

That’s why it was agreed to use the BRE Global Environmental Profile Methodology, comprising 13 environmental indicator categories (see the Green Guide to Specification), this generates balanced and comprehensive results. The results that LIST produces are shown as scores in kg of CO₂eq. per unit and in Ecopoints per unit.

LIST was designed to minimise the amount of work required by the users. The tool takes the user through the logical steps of identifying the individual components of the shopfitting display equipment. In order to use the tool the user will need, as a minimum, the following information:

• A list of components

• The materials used to make these components

• The packaging used to transport the finished product

Other information on the manufacturing location, maintenance and energy use may also be required if known, if not a default setting can be used.

Business and environmental case What are the environmental impacts from the manufacture, supply, maintenance and disposal of display fixtures and store furniture? How important are these “embodied” impacts compared to the other environmental impacts of retail stores? How can retailers evaluate the impacts of their equipment portfolio, prioritise quick wins and cost benefits, demonstrate the business case and work with their suppliers to get measurable results? These are the questions that LIST answers. Researchers modelled actual equipment designs using LIST, compared the embodied impacts of alternative products, and consulted with clients, designers and suppliers about how to embed better environmental outcomes into the design and procurement process. Business case for low impact interior fittings: Around 600,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are associated with new ambient product display and customer service furniture procured for the UK each year . Over a ten-year retail store lease, the embodied climate change impact of shopfittings could be equivalent to up to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions from operational energy use. Managing and reducing these impacts demonstrates good practice to customers, staff and investors. In many cases, there are simultaneous efficiencies to be achieved, such as better performance, longer service life, adaptability, reduced waste and lower transport costs. Designers have been able to demonstrate reductions in modelled CO2e of up to 70% when products are redesigned with environmental efficiency in mind.