In UK construction, the term EPD is now short-hand for LCA (Life-cycle assessment) output compliant with EN 15804, the European standard which has been written to provide the rules for company and industry claims on environmental credentials.
The driver for EN 15804 was the need for true comparison between manufacturers of the same product, but also between different products. To achieve this is a huge task and hence under EN 15804 are Product Category Rules (PCRs) which provide a further level of detail. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) can cover the whole life cycle of products: cradle to grave. In EN 15804 this is module A to C (and these have sub sets). When comparing EPDs designers must ensure that the EPDs they are using cover the same modules.
MPA Precast worked closely with sustainability consultants, thinkstep, on developing a life cycle assessment tool for the purpose of producing verified EPDs in accordance with BS EN 15804: 2012 +A1 (2013). The tool created is robust and accurate but also user friendly for manufacturers of any size. The tool has an extensive list of over 50 material inputs covering all the commonly used aggregates, cements, reinforcements and admixtures.The tool has been externally verified by the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. (IBU) and a series of generic EPDs were published using the tool and data from product committee members.
The following EPDs are current:
The following EPDs expired in July 2022:
As part of MPA Precast’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and transparency, it is partnering with OneClickLCA to generate new EPDs and is now encouraging members to generate their own; which is a work in progress.