What Is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), and Why Did Richwood Publish One for PolyBak?

What is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a report that provides a complete picture of a product’s environmental impact, from the resources it uses to how it is disposed of. This data is drawn from a Life Cycle Assessment or LCA, which examines the product's life cycle in detail. To ensure reliability, each EPD is validated by an independent third party – in the case of PolyBak’s EPD, UL Environment. EPDs must meet the ISO 14025 standard, ensuring quality and consistency. ?Unlike other certifications that may focus on a single environmental aspect of a product, such as indoor air quality (like the GREENGUARD Gold Certification) an EPD tells the entire environmental story of a product.

Why does an EPD matter?

Sustainability is more than a trend – it’s a responsibility that we all can participate in. As stewards of our unique places, we should carefully consider the resources we consume and the environmental impact of the products we create. EPDs play a vital role for both the companies that publish them as well as the consumers of the product. For the company, they provide a benchmark for their sustainability practices that they can improve upon and promote transparency in business practices. This transparency enables manufacturers, architects, designers, and purchasing agents to make informed choices, selecting products that align with their sustainability goals and meet the highest environmental standards.

Why did Richwood publish an EPD for PolyBak?

Publishing an EPD demonstrates our commitment to transparency and accountability in our environmental claims, going beyond words to provide our customers with data. ?While we could claim that PolyBak is an extremely environmentally friendly product, you wouldn’t necessarily be inclined to believe us without any hard facts. When talking about sustainability, data-driven transparency is essential. Additionally, by providing an EPD, we’re demonstrating our commitment to improving our practices as well as supporting our customers' sustainability practices and goals for their products that contain PolyBak.

How to understand the PolyBak EPD

Here’s what you’ll find when you review PolyBak’s EPD:

1.????? You’ll notice that only four of our many PolyBak models were selected for this EPD. These were chosen based on their popularity and their representation across our range of offerings – providing a comprehensive view of PolyBak’s environmental impact across different formulations.

2.????? The beginning of the document provides helpful information on Richwood, the manufacturer of PolyBak, as well as the various applications PolyBak is used in (i.e. balancing backer, crossband & overlay, etc.), and product specifications. For more information on PolyBak visit www.polybak.com

3.????? The numbers are the highlight of an EPD and can be used to better understand the environmental impact of that product. Our EPD reveals a very low global warming impact from the use of fossil fuels (i.e. “embodied carbon”). We are excited about this data, as it confirms our belief that PolyBak is an extremely sustainable product within its product class. We encourage you to review the EPD, and please reach out if you have any questions.

To review the full EPD, click here. For any questions regarding our EPD or PolyBak, reach out to our team here!