ICC-ES Environmental Programs launches new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Program

WHITTIER, Calif. – ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) Environmental Programs is announcing the launch of a new program, the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Program.

EPDs are designed to meet the global market demand for science-based, transparent, quality assured information about product environmental performance. Based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), EPDs are rapidly becoming a key component of the material selection process, particularly in the building sector. ICC-ES helps to meet that demand through the EPD program.

“The overall goal of environmental labels and declarations is to encourage the demand for, and supply of, those products that cause less stress on the environment, through communication of verifiable and accurate information that is not misleading,” says Rob Brooks, Director of ICC-ES Environmental Programs. “The preference for EPDs is because they simply disclose technical, environmental information, rather than a green marketing claim or brand. Two or more EPDs empower a person to compare the environmental performance of one product to another product, provided the EPDs are based on the same Product Category Rules (PCRs),” added Brooks.

An EPD provides an opportunity for manufacturers to have increased transparency regarding the environmental impacts of their products using established international standards. Often likened to a nutrition label, an EPD provides a summary of the environmental impacts and related information in a form that is accessible, consistent and comparable. Consumers, building design teams, specifiers and other users can then make appropriate, informed product selections.

Manufacturers who apply for ICC-ES EPDs will be eligible to receive the ICC-ES Certified EPD mark following successful completion of the certification, showing that their declarations have been certified by ICC-ES. Achieving this mark will assist products desiring to qualify for various Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points. For application information, please visit www.icc-es.org, or call 1-800-423-6587, ext. 7325.