Great, we have it – the first in the green roof industry – for the whole Urbanscape Extensive Green Roof system. But what does it actually mean; and what are the benefits of having it? Read our blog and find out…
What is an EPD – Environmental Product Declaration?
In life-cycle assessment, an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardized way of quantifying the environmental impact of a product or system. Declarations include information on the environmental impact of acquiring the raw materials, energy consumption and efficiency, materials and chemical substances, emissions into air, soil and water, and waste generation. Product and company information is also included.
An EPD is created and verified in accordance with the International Standard ISO 14025, developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). EPDs are based on a life-cycle assessment according to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. It is an independently verified document that is based on the scientific principles of LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and communicates the life-cycle environmental impact of the product.
Why is it important?
One important role of the EPD is to provide the basis for a fair comparison of products and services according to its environmental performance. EPDs can reflect the continuous environmental improvement of products and services over time and are able to communicate and accumulate relevant environmental information along a product's supply chain.
The environmental impact of processes and materials are usually separated into the following life cycle stages:
• Upstream processes: includes raw materials, acquisition and processing/refining as well as the production of intermediate components
• Core processes: manufacturing processes
• Downstream processes including usage and end-of-life stages
An EPD may be used for many different applications, including green public procurement (GPP) and building assessment schemes.
In short: An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a verified (and registered) document that communicates transparent and comparable information about the environmental performance of specific products or systems over their life cycle.
Is EPD also important outside Europe?
On the US market, more information on the importance of EPDs can be found on the website of the US Green Building Council which collaborates with the UL Environment, specifically on EPDs.
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Urbanscape is the first in the green roof industry to publish a System EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for its Extensive Green Roof System. The Urbanscape Extensive Green Roof System is the perfect sustainable product for the entire building life cycle. For architects and specifiers interested in Building Rating Systems such as BREEAM, LEED, DGNB or HQE, an Urbanscape Green Roof System EPD can now provide points for categories such as ‘product disclosure’ or ‘building life cycle’. Check how Urbanscape Green Roof Systems contribute to LEED or BREEAM certification here! |
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Where to find an EPD for the Urbanscape Extensive Green Roof System?
This system EPD, which is the first of its kind, is available for download below:
* (or any other product or system)
