The First Gulf Green Mark Environmental Product Declaration Awarded to Locally Manufactured Products
Gulf Organisation for Research and Development situated at the Qatar Science and Technology Park awarded the Gulf Green Mark Environmental Product Declaration (GGM-EPD) in accordance with the ISO standards to two local companies at the occasion of GSO Technical Sub-committee (TC06) for Green Buildings' 3rd meeting at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Doha on 21st March 2017.
The certificate was awarded to SMEET Concrete Industries and Al Waab Plastics for their commitment to manufacture products in accordance with the highest environmental standards and sustainability practices. At the award ceremony, Dr. Yousef Alhorr, Founding Chairman of the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development, said:
Commitment to adopting sustainability and environmental conservation standards is a prerequisite for the country's urban development, and requires the integration of all components of society such as the example of these two companies' dedication to sustainability standards.
GORD has developed the Gulf Green Mark Environmental Product Declaration (GGM-EPD) program to facilitate the provision of environmental data resulting from the LCA study in a standardized format to be used to compare products using the same product category rules. The process of obtaining the certificate requires the disclosure of all the components used in the manufacturing process from raw materials to resources used such as energy and water in addition to various types of emissions to avoid any harmful side effects on the environment during the manufacturing process. The procedure also includes field visits by the experts from the organization to the manufacturing sites of the entities applying for the certificate to verify the validity of the submitted data and carry out the required examination procedures.
SMEET has successfully completed all certification requirements for eight of its products, including Pre-cast concrete and Ready Mix of four mixtures of C-40, C-50, C-50A and C-60 while Al Waab Plastics has successfully completed the requirements of Gulf Green Mark-EPD certification for three of its products, including plastic pipes of various sizes:16mm, 50mm and 63mm, which are used for hot or cold water supply in buildings, using cold welding.
Mr. Khalid Al Kaabi, owner of Al Waab Plastics, said:
We are proud to have received the Gulf Green Mark certification for our products as they have characteristics that are totally different from other conventional products such as the PPR or copper pipes. And thanks to God, having this certificate will help us grow especially since our product is entering the Qatari market for the first time.
Engineer Usama Muqallid, Production Manager SMEET also commented at the occasion:
The certification will add value to our plant because there is great competition in the field of concrete production. The certificate will distinguish our products from products in the market and reflect the commitment of the company's management and employees to adhere to sustainability standards.
It should be noted that some major projects in the State of Qatar have already begun to pay attention to such a quality mark by placing it as one of the requirements that the contractor must comply with. This will certainly enhance the value of such systems if they have the support of the main stakeholders of the country involved in the major construction projects.