The Slate Cluster has renewed the environmental product declaration – DAP Declaración Ambiental de Producto – for its production. This is a certification that brings together manufacturers of products and materials who are committed to sustainability and the environment, and who wish to improve the environmental impact of their products.
In order to renew the DAP, the consultants analysed the data of 25 companies integrated in the cluster and other companies in Castilla y León, in relation to sustainability, environmental viability, emissions, energy and water consumption or waste disposal, among others. “Technicians and professionals in the construction sector will be able to select types of slate according to environmental criteria, in addition to aesthetic, economic and functional criteria”, defended Víctor Cobo, president of the cluster. He referred to the study carried out on the life cycle of slate (entitled from the cradle to the grave) so that “we can conclude that natural slate is more sustainable than other substitute products used in roofing construction, such as zinc, tiles or fibre cement”.
The renewal of the DAP is valid until 2026. It is a label that applies throughout Europe, which is essential in the case of slate, since more than 95% of its production is destined for export; the UK and France being the main markets.
During the presentation of the certificate renewal, Mr. Cobo was accompanied by the delegate of the French Ministry of Agriculture. Cobo was accompanied by the delegate of the Xunta de Galicia, Gabriel Alén, who highlighted the ecological advantages of slate; the Mayor of Carballeda de Valdeorras, María del Carmen González, who emphasised the fundamental role of the sector for the economic development of the region and the province; the deputy director of mineral resources of the Xunta de Galicia, María Coutinho, and the technicians Eduardo García and María Concepción Lago.
Source: La Voz de Galicia – 17/12/2021