SMaRT certification positions precast concrete ahead of alternative materials
In a marketplace increasingly crowded with products made from alternative materials, NPCA producer members have a new option to showcase the eco-friendly advantages of precast concrete: SMaRT certification.
As of November 2024, all NPCA member producer plants have achieved a Sustainable Gold rating under the SMaRT (Sustainable Materials Rating Technology) product standards.
SMaRT is a third-party national consensus standard that evaluates the sustainability of building materials. The certification assigns points across six key categories, including public health and environmental safety, reclamation, sustainable reuse and end-of-life management. Based on the total points earned, products are rated as Sustainable, Sustainable Silver, Sustainable Gold or Sustainable Platinum. NPCA members have earned the Sustainable Gold level — underscoring the strong environmental performance of precast concrete.
“The idea to pursue certification came from the Alternative Materials Council,” explained Ron Sparks, CEO and partner at National Precast and chair of the council. “We thought it would be good way to help differentiate precast concrete products from alternative materials, specifically to point out the environmental benefits of our products, and this certification focuses on the products our membership manufactures.”
While Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are becoming more standard in the construction industry — and even being written into state legislation — SMaRT certification offers a more comprehensive assessment of a product’s sustainability.
“Environmental product declarations (EPDs) are becoming more commonplace in the industry and are starting to be written into state laws, but EPDs don’t consider the full product life cycle or speak to toxicity and potential health impacts of products,” said Brad Chinery, NPCA vice president of technical services. “SMaRT certification, on the other hand, uses a complete life cycle analysis (LCA) for a more accurate cradle-to-grave picture of products. It also analyzes the toxicity of the product, including all the ingredients.”
SMaRT also takes into consideration how environmentally friendly the disposal options are for a product. Since concrete can be crushed to rock at the end of its life cycle, the product scores high in that category.
Sparks encourages all producer members to understand SMaRT and be proactive.
“Promote it at Precast Days events and start talking with specifiers about it,” Sparks said. “Explain not just that you are certified, but why, and highlight the advantages our products provide.”
The value of certification may vary by market, but Sparks believes it offers strategic advantages even in areas less focused on sustainability.
“It helps you stand out in the market,” Sparks said. “I would recommend members who are not in markets that are including environmental regulations in their laws to leverage SMaRT certification to get ahead of competing products now.”
Chinery echoed the importance of differentiation.
“Many of the alternative materials we compete with can’t qualify for this certification,” he noted. “The inclusion of toxicity and full life cycle analysis gives precast concrete a unique advantage.”
Looking Ahead: Policy and Opportunity
NPCA is working to get SMaRT certification recognized as a measure of the environmental impact of a product, which producers could also leverage.
“Oregon is going to start requiring EPDs in 2026,” Sparks said. “If they recognize a SMaRT certified product as equal to an EPD, now our industry has an advantage.”
In the end, Sparks sees SMaRT certification not just as a sustainability badge, but as a strategic asset for NPCA members in both advocacy and business development.
“Talk to your local politicians, let them know right in their backyard there are environmentally friendly companies that, in most cases, are competing against alternative materials being produced and shipped from outside of your local area,” Sparks said. “That ties directly to jobs and the local economy and that’s typically very important to them and should get some attention.”