Environmental Product Declaration

EPD Introduction

Understanding the true environmental impact of the materials we build with has never been more important, and reclaimed bricks offer one of the most effective ways to reduce embodied carbon in construction. Our Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) provides independently verified, transparent data on the life-cycle performance of our reclaimed bricks from recovery and processing to transportation and end-of-life potential. As the first reclaimed brick supplier in the UK to publish a third-party-verified EPD, Reclaimed Brick Company is proud to lead the way in bringing scientific clarity and accountability to the reuse sector. This declaration quantifies the substantial carbon savings achieved by choosing reclaimed bricks over newly manufactured alternatives and demonstrates how reuse plays a vital role in circular construction. For architects, specifiers, contractors and environmentally conscious clients, the EPD serves as a trusted resource for Whole Life Carbon assessments, sustainable procurement, and compliance with emerging low-carbon standards. By making this data publicly accessible, we aim to support informed decision-making and promote the environmental, social, and economic value of reusing high-quality materials. Explore our EPD to understand the measurable difference reclaimed bricks can make to the sustainability of your next project.

What Is an EPD?

An Environmental Product Declaration is a Type III environmental label, compliant with EN 15804 + A2 and ISO 14025, and verified by an independent assessor. Unlike marketing claims or sustainability statements, an EPD provides quantified, scientific data on a product’s environmental impacts across its life cycle.

Key aspects measured include:

• Global Warming Potential (CO₂e)
  
• Energy use (renewable and non-renewable)
  
• Resource consumption
  
• Waste generation
  
• Reuse and recyclability potential
  
• End-of-life environmental impacts
  

EPDs are essential tools for:

• Whole Life Carbon Assessments
  
• Sustainable procurement decisions
  
• BREEAM, LEED, and other certification schemes
  
• Net-zero and carbon-reduction strategies
  
• Transparent comparison between different building materials
  

By publishing our EPD, we ensure reclaimed bricks can be specified with the same level of environmental confidence and clarity as new manufactured products.

Life-Cycle Performance of Reclaimed Bricks

Unlike new bricks, reclaimed bricks bypass the most carbon-intensive stages of the lifecycle:

1. No extraction of raw materials

Reclaimed bricks are 100% secondary material, requiring zero virgin clay and therefore eliminating extraction impacts.

2. No high-temperature manufacturing process

New clay bricks must be fired in kilns at temperatures exceeding 1000°C — an energy-intensive process that involves burning natural gas or coal, accounting for the majority of their large carbon footprint. Reclaimed bricks avoid this completely, resulting in dramatically lower embodied carbon.

3. Low processing energy

The EPD shows that processing reclaimed bricks — cleaning, palletising, and preparing for resale — requires only 138 kWh per tonne, a fraction of the energy required to produce new bricks.

4. High end-of-life reuse potential

Our EPD assumes that 70% of bricks can be reused or recycled at end-of-life, maintaining material value in a circular system.

5. Long service life

The EPD assigns reclaimed bricks a Reference Service Life of 150 years, reinforcing their durability and suitability for both new-build and conservation projects.

Environmental Benefits: Reclaimed Bricks Vs New Bricks

1. Dramatically Lower Carbon Footprint

The EPD reports a cradle-to-gate Global Warming Potential of 20.4 kg CO₂e per tonne, with a “total GWP” of –3.18 kg CO₂e per tonne when circularity is accounted for.

This negative figure reflects the avoided burden of manufacturing and the reuse of existing materials.

By comparison, new clay bricks typically carry:

• 250–350 kg CO₂e per tonne Or approximately 2.4–3.0 kg CO₂e per brick
  

Reclaimed bricks therefore offer one of the lowest embodied-carbon options available in mainstream construction.

2. Zero Manufacturing Emissions

Reclaimed bricks require:

• No firing
• No fuel-intensive processes
• No primary extraction

This makes them vastly more sustainable than newly produced bricks, even those marketed as low-carbon alternatives.

3. Waste Reduction & Circularity

Choosing reclaimed bricks:

• Diverts valuable heritage material from landfill
• Reduces demolition waste
• Encourages circular building practices
• Eliminates resource depletion
• Extends the life of historic fabric and materials
  

This aligns directly with UK policies on embodied carbon, waste reduction, and circular economy principles.

4. Supports Low-Carbon Construction Standards and Certifications

Projects using reclaimed bricks benefit from:

• Lower life-cycle carbon scores
• Improved BREEAM and LEED credits
• Stronger sustainability narratives
• Compliance with GLA, LETI, RIBA, and Part Z embodied carbon frameworks

5. Real Life Tested

Reclaimed Bricks , when it comes to 'low carbon' alternative building materials, they often have zero credible use data or real world . the use of Reclaiming Bricks has accrued for thousand of years and

• BSI

Reclaimed bricks are no longer just an aesthetic or heritage choice — they are one of construction’s most effective carbon-saving solutions.

Summary of Reclaimed Brick Environmental Product Declaration

Key findings from the EPD include:

Carbon Footprint

• Cradle-to-gate (A1–A3) GWP: 20.4 kg CO₂e per tonne
• Total lifecycle GWP (A–C): –3.18 kg CO₂e per tonne
• Material composition: 100% reclaimed clay brick
  

Energy Use

• Energy consumption during processing: 138 kWh per tonne
• No kilning, no primary production energy required
  

Circularity & Reuse

• Secondary material content: 100%
• Reuse/recycling rate at end-of-life: 70%

Service Life

• Reference Service Life: 150 years
• Demonstrates high durability, making reclaimed bricks suitable for long-term, low-maintenance applications.
  

Environmental Impact

• Substantially reduced CO₂e emissions compared with new bricks
• Lower resource consumption
• Reduced construction waste
• Strong alignment with circular economy goals

Conclusion

By publishing a verified Environmental Product Declaration, Reclaimed Brick Company is leading the way in transparent, science-based sustainability within the reclaimed materials sector. Our EPD allows specifiers and clients to confidently choose reclaimed bricks knowing their environmental performance is backed by independently verified data.

Reclaimed bricks consistently outperform new bricks in carbon footprint, resource efficiency, circularity and life-cycle performance. They demonstrate that the most sustainable building material is often the one that already exists.