We recently had the pleasure of presenting an event at Manchester’s Material Source studio to discuss how sustainable design has evolved, putting place, health and wellbeing at the core of the design process.
During the evening session our global head of sustainability, Jamie Shaw, took an engaged audience on a journey through the uncertainty of predicting the lifecycle impact of construction products and dived into the detail of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and how this information can drive change globally.
What is an EPD?
Providing independently authenticated information about a product’s environmental impact and life cycle assessment, an EPD aims to offer a standardised comparison of different product options and so helps specifiers make fully informed decisions.
We looked at the range of data included, from production through operation to disposal at the product’s end of life, and discussed the challenges of making like for like comparisons when manufacturers use different scenarios.
The devil’s in the detail
However, the existence of an EPD isn’t in itself sufficient to give confidence that a product is a low impact choice. Jamie encouraged specifiers to get geeky with the information provided by different suppliers and looked at the complexity and variability of the data offered as well as the inherent risks of scenario assumptions and hidden data.
Valid for five years, a product EPD provides a snapshot of potential environmental impact within a single specified scenario. So it’s good to know that transparent manufacturers like Karndean are able and willing to provide project specific data, allowing specifiers to make accurate like for like comparisons.
Pictured left to right: Sarah Metcalfe, Rebecca Bowers, Jamie Shaw, Jawad Ali, Rachael Slade and Sophia Clark.
Turn data into action
One of the benefits of the EPD process is that it raises awareness of the impact of a product through its different lifecycle stages and highlights ways in which manufacturers can reduce carbon emissions.
The results of our own EPDs have enabled us to create a roadmap to a greener future. We are making strides toward reducing our impact, for example with the installation of solar panels at our UK headquarters and a new contractual maturity model that will help us meet our supply chain targets.
Next steps
In the longer term, the EPD process is giving suppliers the impetus to innovate and design technical solutions with a much lower impact. Our own technical team are highly excited about the possibilities that are currently on our drawing board and new products that will revolutionize the way we think about our built environment!
And finally…
Perhaps you’re wondering why we chose to celebrate a greener built environment with sourdough?
Well, according to the Sustainable Food Trust, sourdough bread made with local, organic flour is not only the healthiest bread we can eat but also supports the health of the planet. That’s certainly food for thought.
Find out more with a lunch and learn session.