Uponor started in Q1 2022 offering PEX pipes, based on renewable raw materials, with a reduced carbon footprint of up to 90 per cent compared to fossil-based PEX pipes currently on the market. The new PEX Pipe Blue products have been launched in Norway, Sweden and Finland so far.
When Uponor introduced PEX pipes to the world in 1972, the company set a new standard with its revolutionary plastic pipes made of PEX, cross-linked polyethylene, instead of traditional materials. Since then, Uponor has been constantly improving the product and corresponding processes.
Now Uponor is launching a new innovative initiative: the world’s first bio-based PEX pipes with ISCC certification based on the mass balance approach and the same outstanding product characteristics as our conventional Uponor PEX pipes. The new PEX Pipes Blue are part of Uponor’s commitment to renewable raw material and will allow for construction projects to be more sustainable in the future.
Michael Rauterkus, President and CEO, Uponor Corporation, said: “Uponor is shaping trends and setting new standards in the transition to renewable and recycled raw materials. In our aim to lead the construction industry towards net zero, the new PEX Pipes Blue are an important step forward: This new initiative helps our customers to achieve their sustainability goals in all types of projects. We need sustainable solutions for buildings and all parts of a construction project including the pipes in the plumbing and underfloor heating system.”
Managing Director of Uponor AB, Robert Molund, says: “Sustainability is becoming a must-have also in construction and HVAC industries.
“The fact that we can now offer our customers 100% bio-based PEX Pipe Blue means that they can greatly reduce the climate footprint of the plumbing installation. This helps our customers achieve their sustainability goals and meet the increasingly tougher requirements and regulations, such as EU taxonomy.”
Speaking about the customer feedback, Robert Molund states that PEX Pipe Blue has created enormous interest among both contractors and planners. “This is no surprise to us,” he said. “With the use of renewable feedstock and the huge CO2 reduction opportunity, we are convinced that this is the industry standard of tomorrow.”
The significantly low carbon footprint of new PEX Pipes Blue compared to fossil-based PEX pipes is based on Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) calculations according to the standards EN15804+A1, CML / ISO21930. The EPD uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to comprehensively evaluate a product’s environmental impact along its entire life cycle.
All the data is verified by an independent third party. The entire supply chain of PEX Pipe Blue products is certified by International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), an independent organisation that ensures traceability and transparency throughout entire supply and production chains.
The renewable raw material supply is based on the so-called mass balance approach. This means that for every tonne of ISCC certified renewable raw material that is put into production, an equivalent amount of PEX pipes can be claimed as ISCC certified. The use of ISCC certified bio-based material contributes to the replacement of fossil resources by renewable raw materials.
To ensure that all ISCC requirements are met, Uponor’s ISCC certificate is audited annually by an independent third party.
