Building products and their impact on the environment


Building products refer to all materials that are permanently incorporated in a building such as concrete, windows, bricks, steel or wooden frame structures, insulation products or fitted carpet. Their environmental impact is high.

- Since 2015, new legislation has come into effect establishing rules for environmental messages on building products. The environmental impact will be calculated in a more uniform manner and the environmental information on building products will be better substantiated. This will be done by means of environmental product declarations (EPD). The Federal Public Service has developed a database for that purpose.
- The FPS has conducted a study to get more insight into the environmental impact of different insulation products.

- Timber is an important building material. Rules are developed at several levels to fight illegal logging. The government in Belgium has signed a sectoral agreement with the timber sector to promote sustainable timber. You can also contribute by choosing timber and timber products that originate from sustainably managed forests.

Are you a professional (manufacturer, inspector, sector federation, …)? If so, the following sections will provide you more information about:

Building products and impact on health

We spend more than 85% of our time indoors. So, the quality of the inhaled air is very important. Yet, we notice that this air is usually of worse quality than the outside air. This has several causes: open fireplaces, our own transpiration and breath, the fur of pets, but even household products, furniture, curtains and building products can be a source of hazardous substances in the indoor air.

- Since 2015, floor covering products, the glues used for those products and floor polishes have to emit less hazardous substances.
The FPS is examining whether those requirements can be extended to wall and ceiling coverings.