In a market where manufacturers tout all kinds of environmental claims, it's hard to decipher what's really green. In 2006, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published standards for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)-scientific, third-party validated reports that disclose a product's life cycle assessment (LCA); carbon footprint; land, water, and air impacts; and ozone depletion potential. Now fairly common in Europe and parts of Asia, EPDs are relatively new in the U.S., but a groundswell toward certification is under way.
展开▼
