The 411 on EPDs

摘要

Companies constantly tout products as sustainable, eco-friendly, or green. But there are no set definitions for these generic terms and no requirement to back up the claims. Without a standard meaning to define these buzzwords, how can you choose between two products that both claim to be green? This is where an environmental product declaration (EPD) comes into play. EPDs are standardized, third-party verified documents that communicate the results of a product's life-cycle assessment (LCA), including all relevant performance information. A product's EPD is based on its LCA. LCAs include information on sourcing of raw materials, transporting the raw materials to the manufacturing plant, the manufacturing process, shipping and transportation modes and materials, construction and installation onsite, the product's use and maintenance, and recycling, disposing of, or repurposing the product at the end of its life.