by Brianna Crandall — January 14, 2011—UL Environment, a subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and provider of environmental evaluation and certification, announced recently that it is launching an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) program in January 2011. UL Environment’s EPD program provides a comprehensive, globally recognized, and scientifically robust mechanism to consistently evaluate environmental claims on products.
Equivalent to a sustainability “nutrition label,” an EPD is the documentation of an audited Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the environmental performance of a product, based on approved Product Category Rules (PCRs) in accordance with ISO 14025 guidelines. UL Environment says its EPD program provides the structure and global scale necessary to support comparative cradle-to-grave assessments of products across multiple categories. Initial product categories that have expressed interest in this type of program include, but are not limited to, building products, lighting and textiles.
As a result of the USGBC’s LEED rating system, emphasis on green building has grown significantly over the past 10 years, notes UL Environment. The organization intends to alleviate market confusion caused by more than 300 certifications and eco-labels, by providing a holistic picture of the product’s environmental impact and helping purchasers make informed decisions.
