Propex GeoSolutions receives carbon footprint verification for PYRAMAT 75 HPTRM

Propex GeoSolutions recently became the first high performance turf reinforcement mat (HPTRM) manufacturer to verify the carbon footprint of its erosion control solutions. The cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of PYRAMAT® 75 HPTRM is 2.7 kgCO2e per 1m² of material, which is equivalent to driving about seven miles. 

“This verification is another piece of the sustainability puzzle,” said Mike Gorey, CEO of Propex Operating Company LLC. “We’ve known for 20 years that our erosion control solutions support the environment by encouraging vegetation and improving water quality, but now we know that their life cycle produces a small carbon footprint.”

SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party certification and environmental standards development, evaluated PYRAMAT’s lifecycle to calculate its cradle-to-grave carbon footprint. The carbon footprint was then verified through an independent third-party review by Dr. Tom Gloria of Industrial Ecology Consultants. To receive verification, PYRAMAT had to meet the following requirements:

• The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard World Resources Institute/World Business Council for Sustainable Development (Sept. 2011)
• PAS 2050:2011:Specification for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services. British Standards Institution
• ISO 14064-3:2006:Specification with guidance for the validation and verification of greenhouse gas assertions

“Verification of PYRAMAT’s carbon footprint ensures the accuracy and thoroughness of its reported greenhouse gas emissions,” said Keith Killpack, technical director for SCS Global. “Product carbon footprints serve as benchmarks against which product improvements can be measured, and can provide customers with information about a product’s climate impact to inform their purchasing decisions.”

PYRAMAT is used in multiple erosion control systems including ARMORMAX, SCOURLOK and PYRAWALL.  In addition to a minimal carbon footprint, Propex solutions help reduce emissions, increase vegetation and support living shorelines. In 1999 the EPA published a Storm Water Technology Fact Sheet on turf reinforcement mats that recognizes erosion control solutions like PYRAMAT as a best management practice for providing long-term water-quality benefits.