Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have become essential for manufacturers and construction professionals seeking to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and gain a competitive edge in the market. EPDs offer valuable insights into the environmental footprint of products, enabling informed decision-making in the selection of green building materials. By understanding and utilising EPDs effectively, businesses can position themselves at the forefront of the green building movement.
Understanding Environmental Product Declarations
What are EPDs?
EPDs are standardised, verified documents that offer transparent information about a product's environmental impact throughout its lifecycle. These reports adhere to the ISO 14025 standard and are based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies. EPDs provide credible data on environmental performance, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions and compare products within the same category. Read our previous article ‘What is an EPD?’ to better understand the relevant regulations and creation process.
Key Components of an EPD
An EPD consists of two main documents:
- The underlying LCA report, which summarises the LCA project for the verifier's reference
- The public EPD document, containing LCA results and other relevant content
EPDs provide valuable insights into a product's environmental footprint, enabling informed decision-making in sustainable construction and other industries.
The EPD Creation Process
The EPD development process involves several key steps:
- Selecting an appropriate EPD Program Operator (PO)
- Identifying suitable Product Category Rules (PCRs)
- Conducting a comprehensive LCA
- Engaging a third-party verifier
- Drafting the EPD document
- Undergoing review by the verifier
- Implementing feedback
- Submitting the verified EPD for publication
For instance, the EPD process for concrete involves evaluating the environmental impacts of the product across its entire lifecycle, including raw material extraction (e.g., cement, aggregates), production, transportation, use in construction and disposal or recycling at the end of its life. The EPD provides data on aspects like greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and resource use, offering transparency for sustainable construction. This data helps architects and builders make choices that align with sustainability targets, such as reducing the carbon footprint of a project.
The Role of EPDs in Sustainable Construction
EPDs and Life Cycle Assessment
EPDs play a crucial role in sustainable construction by providing standardised, transparent information about a product's environmental impact throughout its lifecycle. EPDs are based on Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), which quantify the lifetime environmental impacts of products. This data is essential for calculating the environmental impacts of entire buildings, as it allows for the assessment of all materials used in construction.
EPDs in Green Building Certifications
EPDs contribute significantly to green building certifications like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). They help earn points in various categories, such as Materials and Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality. By using products with EPDs, projects can systematically reduce their environmental impact and enhance their marketability among environmentally conscious stakeholders.
EPDs and Material Transparency
EPDs provide clear and comparable information about products' environmental performance, similar to nutritional labels on food packaging. This transparency enables architects, builders and buyers to make informed decisions about material selection. EPDs also encourage manufacturers to adopt greener practices and develop more sustainable products, contributing to climate change mitigation and supporting a circular economy.
EPDs as a Competitive Advantage
EPDs are becoming increasingly important for companies seeking to gain a competitive edge, particularly in the construction industry. These standardised documents offer numerous benefits, including meeting regulatory requirements, enhancing brand reputation, facilitating green procurement and contributing to marketing and sales.
Meeting Regulatory Requirements
EPDs help businesses comply with regulatory requirements and align with market demands for sustainable products. In the EU and EEA, public procurement bodies are required to use EPDs to assess the environmental footprint of products. Belgium, for instance, mandates the use of EPDs for companies engaged in environmental-related marketing.
Enhancing Brand Reputation
Embracing EPDs enhances a company's reputation, positioning it as environmentally responsible. EPDs serve as proof of a product's sustainability, improving credibility and helping organisations obtain certifications like LEED and BREEAM. This commitment to transparency and sustainability can significantly contribute to a company's brand image.
Facilitating Green Procurement
EPDs enable construction contractors and developers to select building materials that are both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. By providing detailed insights into the environmental aspects of products, EPDs facilitate a greener supply chain and enhance the use of sustainable materials in projects. This strategic application helps meet specific environmental standards, ensuring that sustainability credentials are integral to the material selection process in construction.
Leveraging EPDs for Market and Sales
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) serve as powerful tools to communicate a product's environmental performance. They provide standardised, transparent information about a product's lifecycle impact, similar to nutritional labels on food packaging. This information aids businesses in joining emerging markets for environmentally superior products and services.
Companies can use EPDs to highlight their products' environmental profiles in marketing campaigns, using verified data to support their claims. For consumer products, EPDs can be presented on packaging and in marketing materials, using clear symbols, graphs and figures to enhance understanding. The EPD® logo, designed for use within the International EPD® System, can be used in advertising to further emphasise environmental commitment.
Conclusion
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have a significant influence on the construction industry, offering a standardised approach to communicate environmental impacts of a company’s operations. They play a crucial role in meeting regulatory requirements, enhancing brand reputation and enabling green procurement. EPDs provide credible, science-based measurements with third-party verification, making them essential tools for companies seeking to gain an edge in the sustainable construction market. To learn more about implementing EPDs and leveraging their benefits for your organisation, visit the Tunley Environmental EPD Consulting page here.