The importance of verifying your Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
In today's environmentally conscious market, transparency and credibility are paramount. An EPD serves as a standardized document that communicates the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle. However, the true value of an EPD is realized when it is verified by a reputable third-party organization.
Firstly, why create EPDs?
The built environment has seen recent growth in the number of published EPDs which underlines the demand for assessments of construction materials and their environmental impact.
EPDs are improving the accuracy of comparison between the environmental impacts of similar materials which is encouraging environmental transparency through providing clear sustainable options across the supply chain, subsequently engaging organisations with sustainable construction practices.
The EPD creation process.
So why is verification crucial?
Broadly speaking, our clients have found that, it’s crucial to offer their clients transparency and measurable environmental impact data for their products. Therefore they know being included on platforms like One Click LCA, their products are easier than ever to incorporate into green building projects and will play a vital role in reducing embodied carbon in construction.
Lets look at some other reasons:
Ensuring Accuracy and Trustworthiness
An EPD provides detailed information about a product's environmental impact, including its carbon footprint, energy consumption, and waste generation. Verification by a third party ensures that this data is accurate and reliable. At Mainer Associates we use One Click LCA as they use rigorous methodologies to validate the information, ensuring that the EPD adheres to international standards such as EN 15804+A2 & ISO 14025 / ISO 21930
This verification process builds trust among stakeholders, including consumers, regulators, and business partners, who can be confident that the environmental claims are credible.
Enhancing Market Competitiveness
In a market where sustainability is increasingly a key differentiator, having a verified EPD product can significantly enhance a company's competitive edge. Verified EPDs are often recognized by green building certification programs like LEED and BREEAM, which can be a decisive factor for clients and projects aiming for these certifications
By working with One Click LCA, companies can ensure their EPDs meet the stringent requirements of these programs, thereby improving their market positioning and opening up new business opportunities.
Facilitating Regulatory Compliance
Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are tightening environmental regulations. Verified EPDs help companies stay ahead of these regulations by providing documented proof of their environmental performance. This is particularly important in regions with strict environmental laws, such as the European Union, where EPDs are increasingly required for public procurement and other regulatory purposes
One Click LCA verification services ensure that EPDs are compliant with these regulations, helping companies avoid potential legal issues and fines.
Supporting Sustainable Product Development
The process of creating and verifying an EPD involves a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of the product. This assessment provides valuable insights into the environmental impacts at each stage of the product's lifecycle, from raw material extraction to disposal
By identifying areas for improvement, companies can develop more sustainable products and processes. One Click LCA expertise in LCA and EPD verification helps companies leverage these insights to enhance their sustainability initiatives and reduce their overall environmental footprint.
Streamlining the Verification Process
One of the significant advantages of working with One Click LCA is the streamlined verification process they offer. Their EPD generator tools simplify data collection and EPD creation, making the process more efficient and cost-effective. This software enables the work to undergo a pre-verification, prior to 3rd party verification, accelerating the process.
This automation reduces the time and resources required for verification, allowing companies to focus on their core business activities while ensuring their EPDs are accurate and compliant.
City Concepts - A case study
We recently completed work with City Concepts, who wanted their systems EPD verified.
City Concepts produce Glass Partitioning & Commercial Fitouts and their aim is to produce the most sustainable office glazing partition systems.
Achieving EPD verification is a critical step in this journey, so they approached us to start the process in getting their products EPD Verified.
“Thanks to Mainer's dedication and expertise, we now have a comprehensive set of verified EPDs that not only align with our sustainability goals but also add significant value to our offering in the commercial fit-out industry. We are confident this will make a meaningful difference to our clients and projects moving forward”
Jamie Grieg, Director at City Concepts
Why verified EPDs mattered to City Concepts
EPDs provide verified data on the environmental impact for their systems.
It makes it easier for architects, specifiers, and contractors to include the systems in their projects
They help to drive innovation while supporting greener construction practices.
Because they are verified, they are available on platforms like One Click LCA, giving even greater visibility to their systems.
Conclusion
Creating an EPD is a long and complex process. Mainer offers to create your EPD through One Click LCA EPD Generator software to efficiently perform a life cycle assessment on your product without compromising on quality.
One Click provide a visual of the benefits of using their software for EPD creation which emphasises the efficiency of this route.
Mainer use One Click LCA Pre-verified EPD Generator software to create your EPD and uses EPD HUB for 3rd Party verification. Without this step, your EPD will not be recognised by many certification schemes, regulations and procurement requirements.
Next Steps
If an EPD is what you require, you can start your EPD journey with Mainer to create transparency in your product’s sustainability and ensure you stay in line with market demand. EPDs are a necessity in the built environment to ensure sustainable choices are being made across the supply chain to decarbonise the sector.
To learn more, please contact our team at hello@mainer.co.uk
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