THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF AN ETICS LAYER: A CASE OF STUDY WITH LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA) FROM ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION (EPD) IN PORTUGAL

This paper is focused on LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) of specific product based on lime used in Portugal how a more sustainable solution for building construction. This product is decorative mineral render based on lime used as final layer to an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) based on cork boards (ICB). The case under study presents as differentials the use of cork, a natural product that has Portugal as the largest supplier in the world and mortars with a greater amount of lime and less use of cement. This is an attempt to reduce the ecological footprint by the manufacturer. In this way, this article analyses the data provided in the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) by the manufacturer, trying to establish a comparative impact reduction with other similar products