What are EPDs?
Let’s start with the basics. EPDs are standardised documents that provide transparent, verified information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its full life cycle. They are a bit like the nutritional labels you find on food packaging but with a lot more detail, outlining everything from raw material extraction to manufacturing,transportation, usage and end-of-life disposal. EPDs follow international standards such as International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14025, which ensures consistency and credibility.
While an EPD in itself is not proof that a product is sustainable, it is a public declaration of the environmental impacts associated with specified life cycle stages of that product. EPDs provide important information for specifiers and architects, as they offer full insight of the impacts their product choices make, not only during their portion of the building development, but before the product is delivered to the job site and after the building’s use as well.
This allows architects, contractors and other specifiers to promote the sustainability of their designs to their clients and helps them to claim extra credits from building assessment and certification schemes like LEED and BREEAM.
More than just a box ticking exercise
In the past, EPDs were often seen as a compliance requirement; just another thing to check off a list but without any real impact. However, this perception is changing rapidly as sustainability becomes a core business value and a critical component of a company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agendas.
Whereas many attempts at appearing to be environmentally friendly can be dismissed by sceptics as “green-washing”, the data-driven nature of EPDs means the same accusations cannot be levelled as those using them authentically. EPDs are now integral to decision-making processes and increasingly turn out to be a project-winning differentiator.
Companies are using EPDs more and more to distinguish their products from those of competitors, improve corporate sustainability performance and demonstrate transparency to stakeholders. This shift means EPD sare now crucial tools for gaining competitive advantage rather than mere formalities.
Why are they becoming increasingly important?
EPDs are gaining prominence for several reasons. Regulatory compliance remains important as many regions and countries are tightening regulations around environmental impact, making EPDs necessary in order for businesses to access the market.
More projects than ever are targeting aspirational green building certifications like LEED and BREEAM, which often require EPDs for material selection, contributing to higher scores and betterproject outcomes. There’s also consumer demand, with clients and end-users being more environmentally conscious, actively making choices to use buildings and products that demonstrate a clear commitment to reducing their environmental impact.
Finally, there’s risk management.Understanding the environmental impact of materials helps companies manage risks associated with supply chain disruptions, resource scarcity and reputational damage associated with sourcing from a supplier which turns out tobe environmentally irresponsible.
Can EPDs by different manufacturers be compared?
Comparing EPDs from different manufacturers can be challenging and has been a major criticism of the documents in the past but this is essential for informed decision-making. To do this effectively, it’s important to ensure consistency in their formats and the information provided.
Here are some guidelines for comparing EPDs:
1. Check they follow the same standards and guidelines, such as ISO 14025
2. Only compare EPDs for products serving the same function
3. Essentially, ensure the life cycle stages covered in the EPDs are consistent, which could be cradle to gate or cradle to grave.
4. Consider the quality and transparency of the underlying data and assumptions used in the EPDs
In keeping with our commitment to openness on sustainability matters, Ideal Standard’s EPDs are readily available. For example, they are attached to products specified using our online digital design tool, the Singular Configurator.
How Are EPDs Actually Being Used in Building Projects?
Architects, engineers, contractors and developers are now leveraging EPDs in various ways to make informed decisions that minimise the environmental impact of their projects. Here are some examples:
1. Material selection and specification
During the design phase, project teams use EPDs to compare different materials and select those that align with the project’s sustainability goals. For example, if reducing the carbon footprint is a priority, teams can choose materials with lower global warming potential(GWP) values. If not contributing to water scarcity is important, then a lower water (user) deprivation potential (WDP) value could be targeted.
2. Sustainable certification and green building standards
EPDs are often a prerequisite for achieving certifications like LEED, BREEAM and other green building standards. These certifications require comprehensive documentation of the environmental impact of materials used in the project, which EPDs clearly provide.
3. Life cycle assessment (LCA) integration
Life cycle assessments (LCAs) evaluate the total environmental impact of a building from cradle to grave, considering everything from material extraction to demolition. EPDs contribute detailed product-specific data to these assessments.
4. Supplier and manufacturer comparisons
EPDs allow project teams to compare different suppliers and manufacturers based on the environmental performance of their products. This comparison can influence procurement decisions, with preference given to suppliers who offer products with better environmental profiles.
Extracting and using EPD data in live building projects
The practical use of EPD data in live projects typically involves several steps. This will usually start with data extraction and software integration with tools that can read EPDs and automatically populate relevant environmental data into, for example, the BIM model. With the data now in the BIM model, project teams canperform environmental impact analyses at various stages of the project.
This also helps teams make informed decisions and real-time adjustments if, for example, unexpected issues arise that necessitate a change in materials. The team can quickly access EPD data to evaluate alternative options that align with the project’s environmental targets.
EPDs are also used in documentation and reporting in areas such as regulatory compliance and sustainability certifications, or to meet client demands for transparency, demonstrating how the project has met specific environmental goals.
Are EPDs equally important across commercial and residential sectors?
EPDs are used in both commercial and residential sectors but their significance can vary depending on the project’s scale and goals.
1. Commercial sector:
In the commercial sector, where projects are often larger and more resource-intensive, EPDs play a critical role in meeting sustainability standards, securing green certifications and reducing overall environmental impact. This is where ESG is more likely to be a consideration so the use of EPDs is naturally the result of that.
2. Residential sector:
In the residential sector, homeowners and developers are becoming more aware of sustainability, driving demand for materials with lower environmental impacts. However, in smaller-scale residential projects, EPDs are likely to be less popular because of budget constraints and the perception that environmental impact is less significant on a smaller scale.
This is part 1 of a 2 part series, read part 2 HERE
In the meantime, you can find out about EPD sand more in our latest sustainability report, Together for a Better Future,here: https://www.idealstandard.co.uk/about-us/sustainability