Environmental Product Declarations – what are they and why are they important?
Posted on: June 1st 2023 • Posted in: GreenblocAn Environmental Product Declaration, or EPD, is a standardised document which provides information about the environmental performance or impact of a product over its entire life cycle, and can include details relating to the manufacturing, transportation, construction, use and recycling or disposal of the product at the end of its life. The use of EPDs can encourage companies to improve the environmental performance of their products by promoting transparency and environmental accountability.
An EPD is normally valid for five years. They are based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculations which are performed according to international standards to ensure that the information supplied is consistent and comparable. Typically the EPDs we use comply to the following standards and methodologies: EN 15978, EN 15804, EN 15942, ISO 21931-1, ISO 21929-1, ISO 21930, BREEAM, LEED, HQE, C+E-.
In producing an EPD it is important to obtain 3rd party verification as, without it, the EPD may not be recognised by many certification schemes, regulations and procurement requirements, and it ensures the results are fair and accurate having been independently tested.
What are the benefits of having an EPD?
EPDs are not currently a mandatory requirement within the construction industry in the UK, however it can be very useful to have one if your client is trying to achieve a sustainability rating for their project, such as BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).
An EPD which has been independently verified can demonstrate the environmental credentials of a product and, more importantly, are an essential tool for architects, engineers and builders and can help to make an informed decision about what to specify.
At CCP we strongly believe in not only producing market leading products with true environmental credentials but also making sure the results are independently tested so our customers can be confident in the benefits of using our concrete blocks.
While some manufacturer’s use a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to provide all the information about the environmental footprint of a product throughout its entire life, if it is not independently verified unfortunately it should be considered merely as a manufacturer’s claim.
At CCP we are committed to reducing the embodied carbon of our products, from the extraction of raw materials used to make our precast concrete blocks, through their use up until their end of life stage. Our Greenbloc technology is based on reducing cement which is the key material in concrete that contributes the highest amount of carbon. We replace the cement with low and ultra-low carbon cement alternative materials that can be manipulated to perform in the same way as cement.
You can view a copy of our 3rd party verified Environmental Product Declarations for Greenbloc below:
