Hanhil Cement, Industry's First Portland Cement to Receive 'Environmental Product Declaration' Certification

Panoramic view of Hanil Cement Danyang Plant. [Photo by Hanil Cement]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Hanil Cement has become the first in the cement industry to obtain the Type 1 Portland Cement 'Environmental Product Declaration' certification.

The Environmental Product Declaration is a system that quantitatively indicates the environmental impact throughout the entire process from raw material extraction to disposal of products and services to enhance their eco-friendliness. It is used as an indicator for consumers to compare and select environmentally friendly products, and is overseen by the Ministry of Environment and operated by the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute.

Currently, public buildings with a total floor area of 3,000㎡ or more must undergo green building certification review, and this is expected to expand to private buildings in the future. Using building materials certified with the Environmental Product Declaration or Low Carbon Product certification grants additional points. Furthermore, certification as a green building provides benefits such as relaxed building standards and tax reductions.

In March, Hanil Cement received the Environmental Product Declaration certification for three types of dry mortar products under the 'Remital' brand: general plastering, general flooring, and high-strength flooring. 'Remicon' holds Low Carbon Product and Environmental Product Declaration certifications for four specifications, and Carbon Footprint certification for five specifications.

Its affiliate, Hanil Hyundai Cement, is also in the process of obtaining the Environmental Product Declaration certification. Additionally, they plan to pursue the 'Low Carbon Product' certification, which is awarded to products that have average carbon emissions below the product average or have reduced carbon emissions by more than 3.3% among the Environmental Product Declaration certified products.

A Hanil Cement representative stated, "This year, we are intensifying ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management and focusing on producing eco-friendly low-carbon products throughout all processes from production to sales," adding, "We will continue to strive to enhance not only the quality of our main products but also their environmental excellence."