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General comment SAKRET is one of the leading manufacturers of building materials in the Baltic States, offering a comprehensive range of products for various construction applications. The company specializes in cement-based dry construction mixes, including thermal insulation adhesives, concrete, masonry and repair compounds, plaster mortars, tile adhesives, decorative plasters, and other related materials.
This EPD covers multiple products from the Group MM G product family, based on a representative product using the worst-case approach. Group MM G includes the masonry mortars ZM M10, ZF M10, ZM M15, ZF M15, ZM M20, ZF M20, PM SUPER, and MULTIMIX. These products are distributed globally.
Masonry mortar is a dry mix that, when combined with water, is used in construction to bond building materials such as bricks, stones, or concrete blocks. It typically contains a binder (such as cement and lime), fine aggregates (like sand), and may also include additions and/or admixtures.
UN CPC code: 37510 Articles of concrete, cement and plaster
Declaration of the main product components and/or materials
The table below summarizes the relative composition of the mortars. The specified composition ranges apply to all masonry mortars in the Group MM G product family.
MaterialsWeight (kg), value range (%)Cement12-20%Sand and other fine aggregates75-82%Limestone and hydrated lime3-13%Additives<1%Packaging Information
All masonry mortars in the Group MM G product family are supplied in moisture-resistant bags, typically available in 25 kg units. Bulk delivery options, such as big bags or silo systems, may also be available upon request, depending on the project requirements and delivery logistics.
Packaging materialsWeight versus the product (%)Industrial paper bag0.33%Cardboard0.02%Low-density polyethylene film0.06%Wood pallet1.42%Note: Packaging materials are not modeled in Modules C–D, as they are assumed to be disposed of in Module A5, which is not declared. Wooden pallets, in particular, contribute to biogenic carbon uptake; however, since Module A5 is excluded, their inclusion would distort the results. As a conservative approach, wooden pallets are excluded from the system boundaries. This modeling strategy has been adopted to ensure transparency and prevent any potential misinterpretation by users.
Main physical and applicative properties
CharacteristicZM M10ZF M10ZM M15ZF M15Basecement cement cement cement ColorgreygreygreygreyCompressive strength, N/mm²10101515Application temperature+5°C to +25°C-10°C to +25°C+5°C to +25°C-10°C to +25°CCharacteristicZM M20ZF M20PM superMultimixBasecement cement cement - limecement - limeColorgreygreygreygreyCompressive strength, N/mm²2020510Application temperature+5°C to +25°C-10°C to +25°C+5°C to +25°C+5°C to +25°CMore detailed technical information about the mortars, including product specifications, performance characteristics, and recommended applications, can be found in the Technical Data Sheets (TDS) available on SAKRET's website. These documents offer detailed information on mixing ratios, curing times, and material properties to ensure the product is used optimally in construction or Do It Yourself (DIY) projects.
All relevant process data was collected in the operational data survey. The data relating to the production stage of the product was determined by SIA SAKRET and refers to the production site in "Ritvari", Rumbula, Stopiņu pagasts, Ropažu novads, LV-2121, Latvia. Data for processes beyond the manufacturer's control were assigned from available EPD or generic data from databases (since suppliers' EPDs were not available for every material or were not developed according to EN 15804+A2).
To ensure the comparability of the results, only consistent background data from the Ecoinvent database version 3.9.1, released in 2022, was used in the LCA (e.g. data records on energy, transport, auxiliary and operating materials).
The database is regularly checked and thus complies with the requirements of ISO 14040/44 (background data not older than 10 years). The background data meets the requirements of EN 15804. The quantities of raw materials, consumables and supplies used as well as the energy consumption have been recorded and averaged over the entire year of manufacturing operation.
The cut-off on the background is according to the background processes documentation (information on cut-off within the background data can be found in the Ecoinvent database version 3.9.1 (2022) document).
The general rule – that specific data from specific production processes or average data derived from specific processes must be given priority when calculating an EPD or Life Cycle Assessment – has been followed. Data for processes that the manufacturer cannot influence or choose, were backed up with generic data.
The data used in this EPD demonstrates good overall quality, supported by solid geographical coverage, appropriate technical detail, and relevant temporal alignment with the reference period. The geographical representativeness of the data is assessed as very good, while both technical and temporal representativeness are considered good. Data quality was calculated using the Data Quality level and criteria according to the PEF approach (Annex E.2 of EN 15804+A2). The DQRs range from 1,67 to 2,67 for the most abundant inputs in terms of mass. Therefore, overall the data quality is consistent and robust across all categories and is deemed to be good.
Product stage (A1-A3)
The production stage includes materials, energy and waste flows only related to the production processes (e.g. energy and water use related to company management and sales activities are excluded where technically possible; production, manufacture, and construction of manufacturing capital goods and infrastructure, other processes which are not directly related to the production of dry mixes).
All installed raw materials of the products are analyzed, and the masses are determined following the allocation and cut-off requirements. Production-specific energy consumption were measured and provided by SAKRET. Supplier information regarding mode of transport and distances also are provided by SAKRET.
Production data is recorded with a high degree of accuracy and precision. Given the consistency of the production process across all products manufactured at the site, energy consumption, ancillary materials, and production waste are allocated to the declared unit based on production and consumption volumes over a 12-month period.
Waste generated during plant operations is properly managed – stored in suitable containers and routinely transported for further processing or disposal. As a result, no significant negative impact on the environment is expected.
Production waste typically consists of off-specification products (mortar that does not meet quality standards and cannot be reintegrated into the production process), dust (fine particles generated during the grinding or mixing process) and cleaning waste (waste generated from cleaning equipment, mixers or storage areas that may contain small amounts of product or raw materials). The waste is collected separately, stored and disposed of in accordance with environmental and regulatory standards. Production waste is classified as construction waste and sent for recycling. In line with waste management practices in Latvia, it is estimated that approximately 99% of production waste is recycled, while the remaining 1% is sent to landfill.
Water use is not declared, as it is not utilized in any technological processes.
Masonry mortar products must be protected from moisture during storage and transportation. They are packaged in 25 kg industrial paper bags, stacked on wooden pallets with cardboard layers in between, and wrapped with plastic film for protection. All packaging materials are suitable for external recovery or appropriate disposal.
Packaging materials are not modeled in Modules C–D, as they are assumed to be disposed of in Module A5, which is not declared. Wooden pallets, in particular, contribute to biogenic carbon uptake, however, since Module A5 is excluded, their inclusion would distort the results. As a conservative approach, wooden pallets are excluded from the system boundaries. This modeling strategy has been adopted to ensure transparency and prevent any potential misinterpretation by users.
Construction process stage (A4-A5): not declared.
Use stage (B1-B7): not declared.
End of life stage (C1-C4) and Module D
Since the products are marketed internationally, no country-specific waste scenario was considered. As a result, the waste scenarios from NMD (2022) have been adopted.
Module C1: This module covers the demolition of cement-based mortars as part of the overall demolition of the entire building or structure. The demolition process (C1) consumes energy in the form of diesel fuel used by building machines (e.g. lifting cranes, mobile rough terrain crane, forklift). According to Erlandsson, M. and Pettersson D. (2015) energy consumption of a demolition process is on average 10 kWh/t.
At the end-of-life, in the demolition phase 100% of the waste is assumed to be collected as separate construction waste.
It is assumed that all embedded mortar is collected as separated construction waste during the demolition phase at the end of its service life.
Modules C2 to C4 and D: A waste scenario for construction waste based on the Dutch National Environmental Database (NMD) is used:
concrete (i.a. elements, brickwork, reinforced concrete): 99% of material is recycled and 1% landfilled.
All of end-of-life product is assumed to be sent to the closest facilities (C2).
In general, the inputs and outputs were attributed to the process/module in which they occur. That means:
Environmental impacts caused by manufacturing or production waste (transport, incineration, waste processing, landfill and benefits through material and energy recovery) are assigned to module A3.
Environmental impacts caused in the end-of-life stage are assigned to module C2 (transport), C3 (waste processing), C4 (disposal) and D (benefits through material and energy recovery).
Carbonation
During and after the lifetime of cement- and lime-containing products, the hydrated cement and lime within these products react with CO₂ from the air. This process, known as carbonation (or cement/lime carbonation), allows part of the CO₂ emitted during cement or lime production to be reabsorbed. The amount of CO₂ uptake depends on the type of application and its treatment at the end of its life cycle.
Since SAKRET produces dry-mixed products and has no control or information regarding their specific application, carbonation during the use phase (Modules B) is not considered. The same applies to the end-of-life phase (Modules C and D) due to the lack of precise data.
Overall, carbonation reduces the global warming potential (GWP) of cement and lime-based products throughout their life cycle, meaning that, theoretically, the GWP results for the end-of-life stage could be lower. |
