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What are EPD? What can they do for you?

Are you a manufacturer, trade association, architect, specifier or builder? Have you heard all the fuss about EPD? What exactly are EPD? What can they do for you?

Quite simply:

  • An EPD (environmental product declaration) is a document which may be used in different countries to quantifiably demonstrate the environmental performance of a product. They are a Type III environmental label.
  • The European Standard for the generation of EPD for construction products, EN 15804, was published by the CEN Technical Committee for the sustainability of construction works (CEN TC350) in 2012.
  • EPD are generated based on data obtained through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). An LCA is performed using a peer reviewed Product Category Rules document (PCR) in line with EN 15804, ISO 14025, and other related international standards.
  • EPD can be used externally for marketing materials and internally for the improvement of product manufacture, or process efficiency. They can also feed into whole building assessment schemes, other comparative tools, and building information modelling (BIM) CAD software.

 

BRE Global is internationally recognised for its expertise in LCA and pioneering work in the environmental evaluation of construction products for whole building assessment and other related schemes (BREEAM, The Green Guide to Specification, IMPACT, etc.).

Did you know that BRE Global, in close consultation with industry stakeholders, introduced the BRE Global EN 15804 Verified EPD Scheme? Utilising the BRE peer reviewed PCR for all construction products?

 

Why come to BRE Global for an EPD?

  • BRE Global’s well-known certification mark represents quality and illustrates that a product has gone through a rigorous verification process.
  • BRE Global has allowed for the development of scenarios that meet the needs of both the manufacturers and the users of the product declared.
  • BRE Global’s fast-growing EPD scheme has members made up of Trade Associations and Manufacturers. 5 EPD have already been published, and more are currently undergoing verification.

 

The ultimate aim is to generate a pool of high quality and scientifically robust EPD to inform user of the environmental credentials of construction products and to enable the evaluation and benchmarking of whole buildings in the UK and across the globe.

To find out more about EN 15804 Verified EPD by BRE Global, visit our scheme page on Green Book Live.  Or take a look at our list of current scheme members.