An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent and comparable data and other relevant environmental information about the life-cycle environmental impact of a product.
In short, an EPD is like a recipe for how much carbon is in a given product.
EPDs are a relatively new concept in New Zealand. They require significant investment of time and resources to develop, as they need to go through an independent verification process. However, the advantages of having an EPD are worth it. One of the primary benefits is that EPDs make it much simpler for users of sustainability rating schemes to find and choose products that align with their environmental goals. This is because EPDs provide transparent and comparable data about the environmental impact of a product, making it easier to measure its sustainability within the scheme.
Envirocon is the first, and currently only, precast concrete manufacturer with an EPD.
An EPD includes various datasets that cover resource consumption of energy, water, and renewable resources, as well as emissions to air, water, and soil. These datasets are combined to assess the environmental impacts, such as contributions to climate change (carbon footprint), air, water, and soil pollution, and resource depletion and displayed as tables with values.
The product information section of an EPD provides details on what aspects of the product's environmental impact are covered and in what quantities or volumes. This section is typically found at the beginning of an EPD, giving readers a clear understanding of the specific areas addressed in the document.
The system boundary of an EPD outlines what activities are included and excluded in the assessment. Typically, it encompasses all aspects of manufacturing (A1-3), as well as the demolition and disposal of the product (C1-4). However, it does not consider activities related to the transportation and use of the product.
In the final section of the EPD, you will find tables that provide detailed information about the environmental impact of the product. This information is presented in terms of tonnes of carbon equivalents (CO2e). Each parameter is assigned a specific number based on the system's boundaries. The summary number, known as the GWP-t or Global Warming Potential, is a key indicator of the product's overall environmental impact.
The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) from Envirocon showcases that precast concrete products created through product stewardship activities have an exceptionally low embodied carbon footprint. This is attributed to how carbon is accounted for in a life cycle analysis.
In the assessment of carbon associated with a manufactured material, it is important to count it only once. When a project purchases concrete, it must consider the total amount of concrete purchased, regardless of whether all of it was used. This practice eliminates the potential for undesirable outcomes. Consequently, any excess concrete that is returned does not carry the carbon cost associated with its production. As a result, Envirocon's precast concrete products, manufactured through the product stewardship scheme, have a very low carbon footprint. Only the carbon linked to Envirocon's manufacturing process is allocated to the block.
Since there are no other precast concrete EPDs issued in New Zealand, a direct comparison of embodied carbon footprint cannot be made. However, EPDs for ready mix concrete can serve as a benchmark for estimating the embodied carbon of a precast element. As a point of reference, a standard 20mpa concrete mix has a carbon footprint of approximately 240 kg CO2e per m3 of concrete. In contrast, Envirocon achieves a significantly lower footprint of 15.1 kg CO2e per m3, demonstrating a substantial reduction.
