SpecTips: Industry-Wide vs. Product-Specific EPDs
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are standardized documents that transparently communicate a product's environmental impact across its entire lifecycle. EPDs summarize and condense the information from a life-cycle assessment (LCA) into a more digestible form, enabling easy comparison of environmental impacts between different products, manufacturers, and processes. Developing and maintaining LCAs and EPDs requires significant time, effort, and financial investment. They necessitate detailed input data such as energy usage, emissions, transportation, and raw material information. Once published, an EPD is valid for five years, after which it must be updated with current data.
Given these demands, many manufacturers participate in the development of industry-wide EPDs through associations such as SPRI, PIMA, and CFFA. While industry-wide EPDs provide a useful baseline and benchmark for the industry as a whole, they do not represent the environmental impact of a singular manufacturer and thus do not convey the full picture.
Solution
For architects and building owners prioritizing sustainability, it is crucial to specify product-specific EPDs. This ensures accurate comparisons of environmental impacts during product selection, going beyond industry averages. Using industry-wide EPDs as a baseline for global warming potential allows for targeting products that are superior to industry standards.
Carlisle SynTec Systems is dedicated to providing Product-Specific Type III EPDs and offering precise global warming information for our individual products. Although Carlisle contributes to industry-wide EPDs through various organizations, our focus on company-specific EPDs adds an extra layer of environmental transparency for our valued customers. Our library of product-specific EPDs includes Sure-Seal® and Sure-Tough™ EPDM, Sure-Weld® TPO, and Sure-Flex™ PVC and KEE HP membranes, along with their FleeceBACK® counterparts, as well as HD polyiso cover boards and standard polyiso insulation boards.
For your next roofing project, specify products with product-specific EPDs to facilitate comparisons with industry averages and select the superior option. This approach ensures the highest level of sustainability in your project designs.
SPECTIP
When specifying roofing membranes or insulation, choose a product from a manufacturer that has produced a Type III Product-Specific EPD and include it in the Submittal Section under Sustainable Design Submittals of the specification for the product.
Division 7 Sections for the project’s roofing membrane and insulation are:
Also coordinate with Section 018113 – ‘Sustainable Design Requirements’ for LEED project documentation procedures.
Carlisle’s EPD Library
Carlisle’s Sustainability Resource Page
Given these demands, many manufacturers participate in the development of industry-wide EPDs through associations such as SPRI, PIMA, and CFFA. While industry-wide EPDs provide a useful baseline and benchmark for the industry as a whole, they do not represent the environmental impact of a singular manufacturer and thus do not convey the full picture.
Solution
For architects and building owners prioritizing sustainability, it is crucial to specify product-specific EPDs. This ensures accurate comparisons of environmental impacts during product selection, going beyond industry averages. Using industry-wide EPDs as a baseline for global warming potential allows for targeting products that are superior to industry standards.
Carlisle SynTec Systems is dedicated to providing Product-Specific Type III EPDs and offering precise global warming information for our individual products. Although Carlisle contributes to industry-wide EPDs through various organizations, our focus on company-specific EPDs adds an extra layer of environmental transparency for our valued customers. Our library of product-specific EPDs includes Sure-Seal® and Sure-Tough™ EPDM, Sure-Weld® TPO, and Sure-Flex™ PVC and KEE HP membranes, along with their FleeceBACK® counterparts, as well as HD polyiso cover boards and standard polyiso insulation boards.
For your next roofing project, specify products with product-specific EPDs to facilitate comparisons with industry averages and select the superior option. This approach ensures the highest level of sustainability in your project designs.
SPECTIP
When specifying roofing membranes or insulation, choose a product from a manufacturer that has produced a Type III Product-Specific EPD and include it in the Submittal Section under Sustainable Design Submittals of the specification for the product.
Division 7 Sections for the project’s roofing membrane and insulation are:
- EPDM Membrane Roofing – Section 075323
- TPO Membrane Roofing – Section 075423
- PVC membrane Roofing – Section 075419
Also coordinate with Section 018113 – ‘Sustainable Design Requirements’ for LEED project documentation procedures.
Carlisle’s EPD Library
Carlisle’s Sustainability Resource Page
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