Everything you need to know about Environmental Product Declarations

Marley clay roof tiles on a production line

An Environmental Product Declaration, also known as an EPD, is an independently verified document that quantifies a product’s environmental impact. It includes details about the product’s, carbon embodiment, water use and waste generation throughout its lifecycle.

With sustainable construction becoming increasingly important, there has been a surge in demand for detailed information about the carbon footprint of building products. Specifiers want a thorough understanding of how individual products contribute to a building project – throughout the entire lifespan of the product – and they also want to know what manufacturers are doing to reduce their own environmental impacts. EPDs help to bridge the gap between manufacturer and specifier, providing transparent, accurate and verified whole-life data. The purpose of an EPD is not to say whether a product is environmentally sustainable or not. Instead, EPDs provide the details that architects and specifiers need to make informed decisions. With an EPD, a specifier can evaluate a product’s sustainability credentials, compare similar products and choose a product that aligns with the project’s overall sustainability goals. 

The standardised format of EPDs

EPDs are produced in a standardised format according to ISO 14025:2006, which covers environmental labels and declarations, and EN 15804:2012+A2:2019/AC:2021, which covers sustainability of construction works, providing rules for EPDs. Standardisation helps to ensure that data is accurate, and that architects and specifiers have the information they need. It also makes it easier to compare different products.

Are there different types of EPDs?

There are a few different types of EPDs. The two most common are single-company, product-specific EPDs and industry-wide EPDs:

  • Single-company, product-specific EPDs: These assess the life-cycle impact of an individual product (or multiple products that are very similar) produced by a single manufacturer.
  • Industry-wide EPDs: Also known as sector EPDs or industry average EPDs, these assess the environmental impact of a specific industry or product type. Examples include concrete components, construction timber and bricks. Environmental impact information is obtained for the industry based on the dominant share of manufacturers. The assessment is produced using a weighted average of this data.
  • Project- and product-specific EPDs: Due to the resources necessary, these are less commonly available. They begin with a product-specific EPD and are then customised for specific projects to incorporate factors such as specific factory of manufacture and transportation to an individual customer site.

How does an EPD benefit architects and specifiers?

EPDs provide essential information to help architects and specifiers choose products that align with the sustainability goals of their business or project. This can support projects in achieving certification under schemes such as BREEAM and LEED. By understanding a product’s environmental impact, specifiers can design more sustainable buildings and promote more eco-friendly construction practices. The resulting buildings are also more attractive to potential occupants or buyers.

How long are EPDs typically valid for?

EPDs are usually valid for five years. However, numerous factors can affect an EPD’s validity, such as the product type, supply chain stability and changes to applicable standards and legislation.

An EPD is created using data from a product’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which looks at the product’s environmental impact over the course of its lifespan. If there are any changes to the supply chain, manufacturing techniques, assessment methods or any other relevant factors, it may affect the validity of the EPD. This means that EPDs (and LCAs) must be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they continue to provide the most accurate information.

How to use an EPD

The information provided in an EPD can be used in a variety of ways, and across various stages of a project. Armed with this information, users can make product choices that are informed by accurate data about a product’s environmental performance.

Understanding the lifecycle stages of an EPD

An EPD separates the environmental impact of a product into five distinct stages of the product’s lifecycle. When looking at an EPD, it’s important to consider the scope of the EPD. Some products may be measured from “cradle-to-gate”, that is, from raw materials to the factory gate, or from “cradle-to-grave”, which extends to the end of the product’s life, including its disposal or recycling.

  • Stage 1: Production – This stage looks at how the product is made. It goes all the way back to the extraction of raw materials and their transport to the production facility. It also covers the processes involved in manufacturing.
  • Stage 2: Construction – This stage begins when the product leaves the production facility. It includes transporting the product to site and installation.
  • Stage 3: Use – Typically the most detailed stage of the EPD, this stage covers the product's environmental impact during its useful life. This includes the product’s emissions during use, as well as maintenance, repairs, refurbishment, replacement and any energy consumption or water use during operation.
  • Stage 4: End-of-life – This stage looks at what happens to a product when it is no longer in use, whether that’s due to the building being demolished, the product being replaced or any other reason. It evaluates the impact of removing the product, transporting it to a waste processing facility and the environmental effects of recovery, recycling or disposal.
  • Stage 5: Re-use and recycling potential – When a product is no longer in use, this stage assesses its potential for recovery, reuse and recycling.

Why are EPDs important?

With the built environment contributing nearly 40% of global greenhouse gases, there is increasing demand for reliable information about environmental performance. An EPD provides architects and specifiers with verified data, covering a product’s entire lifespan.

Stuart Nicholson, roof systems director for Marley, explains: “The need for sustainability data has never been greater. At Marley, we are committed to doing our part to reduce carbon emissions and stop climate change. Our EPDs provide the information our customers require to make informed decisions about environmental performance."

Marley offers an extensive collection of EPDs to support our roof system products, including the Marley SolarTile® and our range of clay roof tiles and concrete roof tiles. Information for these can be found on our dedicated Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) webpage .

If you have any questions about our EPDs, or any of our products and services, please get in touch