Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are statements that declare a product or service's adherence to a transparent environmental production policy as evaluated through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method outlined by ISO 14040, as defined by ISO 14025.
EPDs also increase the quality and marketing/sales value of buildings in terms of compliance with the European Building Products Regulation. The European Commission now recognizes EPDs as a tool for disclosing the environmental performance of building materials and establishing a foundation of sustainable, healthy buildings, and encourages manufacturers to adopt this approach.
As a certification system, EPDs comply with European Union laws and requirements for the export market. They support reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing environmental impact and global warming, and significantly contributing to sustainable production.
In addition to environmental benefits, EPDs are critical for material manufacturers who want to market their products in foreign markets. International sustainability standards are required for environmentally conscious buyers in foreign markets. EPD-certified products stand out as they are prepared in accordance with international standards and will be a preferred choice for consumers.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are declarations that certify a product or service has undergone a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in accordance with ISO 14040 standards and has a transparent environmental production policy. The information provided in the EPD is based on the appropriate Product Declaration Rules (PCR) verified by independent third-party panels such as IBU, UL, or EPD International.
An LCA is a method for evaluating the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life cycle, including its production, use, and disposal. The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of a product should be verified by reliable and independent sources, while the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) is performed by an LCA expert using software and modeling tools.
EPDs, or Environmental Product Declarations, contain a comprehensive evaluation of a product or service's environmental impact throughout its entire life cycle. This includes information on the product's raw material supply, transportation, production process, resource and energy use, fossil fuel consumption, the potential for acidification, eutrophication, global warming, ozone depletion, climate change, carbon emissions, and waste generation and disposal. These declarations serve as a transparent report on the company's environmental production policy and aim to increase the product's market value and quality in terms of sustainability.
EPDs are crucial in documenting the sustainability of buildings and the use of environmentally-friendly materials, as the sustainability of a building greatly depends on the performance of the materials used.
Having an EPD can bring numerous benefits for manufacturers including:
EPDs are highly recommended and utilized in green building certifications such as LEED and BREEAM. The precise information provided in EPD archives about the content and efficiency of products is of great importance for users in green buildings.
