What is an environmental product declaration (EPD)?

An EPD is an independently verified and registered document that educates consumers and building professionals about a product and its environmental impact. These documents offer a standardized way to quantify the following:

• The impact that the acquisition of a product’s raw material has on the environment;
• The product’s level of energy use and efficiency;
• How much of the product’s content is made up of materials vs. chemical substances;
• The emissions to air, soil and water that are caused by the manufacturing of a product:
• The amount of waste generated from the product at the end of its lifetime.

Product/company information is also included within an EPD. All of these elements make it easier for contractors, specifiers, architects and designers to compare products that fulfill the same function. In order to maximize the benefits that these products can contribute to their projects, trade professionals can access a list of existing EPDs and PCRs at http://environdec.com, the website of the International EPD® System.