How to Measure Sustainability: Key Indicators That Define a Truly Sustainable Product

What are Sustainability Indicators?

Sustainability indicators are measurable values that track a product’s impact on the environment, society, and economy. Understanding these metrics is essential to making informed, responsible design decisions. They help compare products, meet certification requirements, and contribute to long-term climate goals.

The sustainability indicators fall into two broad categories:

1. Quantitative indicators: Hard data such as carbon emissions, recycled content, or water usage.
2. Qualitative indicators: Contextual factors like ethical sourcing or design-for-disassembly.

Key Environmental Indicators

Several indicators can be used to create an assessment of the sustainability performance of different construction materials, considering their whole life cycle:

Carbon Footprint (Global Warming Potential – GWP)

GWP measures the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with a product’s life cycle (typically from raw material extraction to manufacturing and transport) in kg CO₂ eq/FU.

Other indicators related to greenhouse gas emissions are Ozone Depletion (the total emissions of ozone-layer-depleting substances, kg CFC-11/FU), Acidification Potential (the total emissions of substances causing acidification of water bodies, kg SO₂ eq/FU) and Eutrophication Potential release of substances increasing the growth of algae, which decreases water quality, kg PO₄ eq/FU).

FRONT’s CornWall tiles are CO₂ neutral, and many of our other products have a low-embodied carbon profile.

Embodied Energy

This refers to the total energy required to produce a material. It includes everything from raw material extraction to processing and manufacturing.

Biobased materials and locally sourced ingredients typically result in lower embodied energy values, making them more sustainable choices from the outset. For example, please have a look at FRONT’s BioBasedTiles.

Water Usage

Water is a critical resource, particularly in the production of ceramics and concrete.

FRONT’s Skip Tile is designed to reduce water consumption during production by up to 40% compared to conventional ceramic tiles.

Material Origin and Content

Understanding where your materials come from and what they’re made of is key. This includes the percentage of recycled, biobased, or locally sourced content. It’s also important to look at the total land required to acquire all resources and manufacturing in the production stage.

Pretty Plastic Panels are made entirely from post-consumer PVC waste, turning a problematic material into a visually compelling, circular product. WasteBasedBricks are made from at least 60% waste materials, upcycling 91 kg of waste per m².

End-of-Life Scenario

How durable is a material, and what happens to it at the end of its use? Recyclability, biodegradability, waste generation, and the potential for reuse all play a role.

Designing for mono-materiality (a product composed of a single type of material) or modular disassembly ensures materials stay in the loop, which is an essential part of a circular system.

For example, FRONT Paper Waste Panels are fully reusable or 100% recyclable in the same loop. With the Beyond Wall System, demountable facades and interior walls can be created without using mortar or glue.

Broader Lifecycle Metrics

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

LCA is a comprehensive method of evaluating the environmental impacts of a product over its entire life, from raw material to disposal.

As there is no defined threshold on what is sustainable or not, LCA works best as a comparative analysis where two or more products used for the same function (‘Functional Unit’) are compared on the basis of different environmental measurements throughout each stage of their life cycle. The result of such a comparison highlights which product is more sustainable.

Furberg et al. (2022) distinguish between three types of Functional Units that can be used in comparative LCA of materials:

1. Reference Flow FU: considers a quantity of the material rather than its function, usually area or weight measures. By far, the most used in LCAs in the construction sector in recent years.
2. Property FU: includes physical properties such as conductivity or resistance.
3. Performance FU: includes the function of the material in the end-use product. Only this Functional Unit fully complies with the ISO standards.

When available, FRONT uses LCA to benchmark our products and identify opportunities to reduce environmental harm at every stage.

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

EPDs are third-party verified documents that summarise LCA results in a standardised way. They make it more convenient for specifiers to compare products on equal terms.

In the FRONT Download Centre, you can download the EPDs of several of our products. More will be added as soon as they are available.

Social and Ethical Indicators

Fair Labour Practices

Beyond environmental impact, ethical sourcing and fair working conditions are vital when it comes to a sustainable built environment. Transparency in our supply chains helps ensure materials are made responsibly and with care for the people behind them.

At FRONT, we maintain close contact with our material partners to ensure these values are upheld throughout the entire process.

Health and Wellbeing

Toxicity, off-gassing, and material safety affect the people who live and work in buildings.

FRONT places a strong emphasis on non-toxic binders, safe ingredients, and VOC-free materials that contribute to healthy indoor environments.

For questions about the ingredients of our materials, make sure to read our How it’s Made page, download product data sheets and sustainability statements from the Downloads Centre, and check our FAQ.

Circular Economy and Regenerative Design

True sustainability goes beyond doing less harm. It’s about designing systems that give back.

At FRONT, we follow the principles of the circular economy:

• Designing out waste
• Keeping materials in use
• Regenerating natural systems

Our products are often made from construction or industrial waste, given new life as high-performing materials. With our partners, we design for reuse, modularity, and durability, turning today’s waste into tomorrow’s resource.

Why Metrics Matter

For architects and developers, verified metrics are essential to meet sustainability goals and earn certification points with programmes like BREEAM, LEED, or WELL. Transparent data supports responsible decision-making and future-proofs your projects.

At FRONT, we support this process by offering documentation and guidance during specification to the best of our abilities. However, due to the innovative nature of our products, developing the necessary data can take more time than with conventional materials.

FRONT materials are not always off-the-shelf solutions, and progress often involves new ground. We appreciate the patience and commitment of those who choose to build with us as we work together toward a more sustainable future.

Our goal is clear: by tracking key indicators, the building industry can move beyond vague green claims and towards genuine environmental responsibility.