EPD-certified Knauf Industries products
What is an EPD and what are its benefits?
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are documents that provide precise, verified and comparable information on the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle. They are mainly used in the environmental assessment of buildings, but are also applied to various other industrial sectors. Companies and stakeholders use EPDs to make informed decisions on which materials or products to use in a project, giving preference to those with the lowest environmental impact.
Not to be confused with environmental and health declaration sheets (FDES), which are a specific feature of French law. EPDs are both European and global in scope.
Although each region of the world may have its own specific requirements, the use of standards such as ISO 14025 and EN 15804 ensures that EPDs are understandable and accepted worldwide.
The advantages of EDPs :
| Transparency and sustainability | Using products with EPDs proves that the company is transparent and demonstrates this in detailed calculations, thus reinforcing its credibility and commitment to sustainability. |
| Clear view of carbon footprint | EPDs provide a detailed, organized view of the various sources of carbon emissions throughout the product life cycle, making it easier to calculate the carbon footprint. |
| Precise, plant-specific data | EPDs provide accurate information specific to each product and its manufacturing processes. They provide a detailed analysis of raw materials, energy and other resources consumed, enabling better management of costs and resources. |
| Integration with BIM systems | EPDs can be read by building information modeling systems (e.g. BIM), facilitating their use in construction projects and the optimization of material choices. |
| Continuous improvement of environmental performance | EPDs can be used to identify ways of improving a product’s environmental performance and optimizing its manufacturing processes. |
| Third-party verified certification | EPDs are audited and verified by accredited third parties (Knauf Industries has chosen the Environdec platform), guaranteeing the reliability of the data. |
| Access to subsidies | Having EPDs may enable a company to apply for financial aid or subsidies under sustainability support programs. |
| Comparing materials | EPDs make it possible to compare different products on the basis of their environmental impact, thus facilitating decision-making, particularly in the construction sector. |
EPDs have worldwide validity and are accepted in various “green” building programs (e.g. BREEAM, LEED), building information management (BIM) software for building lifecycle analysis and green public procurement.
In short, EPDs certify that a company complies with expectations in terms of transparency and sustainability, providing a precise analysis of the environmental impact of its products, better resource management, and the ability to differentiate itself in an increasingly sustainability-oriented market.
How do our EPDs differentiate us as a company?
Knauf Industries has a dedicated in-house team of experts with the technical skills required to carry out these complex environmental analyses. Unlike generic or sector-specific data, our EPDs are based on actual data from our production processes, enabling customers to rely on accurate and specific information. This ensures total transparency on the environmental impact of our products, a major asset for our customers’ projects seeking to reduce their carbon footprint.
We also identify concrete levers for reducing our environmental impact and improving the performance of our products. This pro-active approach demonstrates our ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous process improvement, and is a response to ever-increasing sustainability requirements and regulatory changes.
Knauf Industries is able to support its customers in their sustainable construction and carbon footprint (scope 3) reduction initiatives, meeting the needs of the most demanding clients.
How do we understand EPD?
To fully understand an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), you need to know that it is based on a life cycle analysis (LCA) of the product. This analysis assesses environmental impacts at each key stage of the life cycle, as follows:
- Production : This includes the extraction of raw materials and the manufacture of the product, with a focus on greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and resources used.
- Transport : This stage covers the movement of the product from the factory to the worksite, with an assessment of transport-related impacts such as CO₂ emissions.
- Use: The EPD also takes into account the product’s use phase, i.e. its environmental performance throughout its lifetime.
- End-of-life: Finally, the product’s end-of-life is assessed, including recycling or disposal scenarios, as well as the associated impacts (waste, pollution).
The information contained in the EPD enables the ecological footprint to be assessed holistically, covering impact categories such as CO₂ emissions, water consumption, soil acidification and waste production. These data follow the procedure described in EN 16783:2024, which focuses on product category-specific rules (PCR).
And as far as the document is concerned, what are the most relevant points?
Competitive advantage: Our EPDs are standardized and verified by independent third parties, allowing transparent comparison with other products on the market, reassuring our customers about the reliability of our data and the positioning of Knauf Industries.
Technical aspects: Our EPDs comply strictly with current standards, guaranteeing their conformity with regulatory specifications.
Strategic investment: The development of EPDs represents a major investment by Knauf, in terms of internal skills, in-depth analysis of our processes, and external costs related to verification (up to €6,000 per EPD + staff costs).
In-house production: Our EPDs are produced entirely in-house by the Knauf Industries team of experts, guaranteeing rigorous monitoring and total control of the process.
Knauf Industries is proud to be able to provide these specific documents, in compliance with current standards such as ISO 14025 for transparency and comparability, and within the framework of the NF 15804+A2 standard, and hopes that this will open up new business opportunities.
- Knauf Industries products concerned: Knauf Therm ETIX GRAFIT Th31 1000x500x50 (single product) and 2 multi-products, Knauf Therm ETIX GRAFIT 1000x500x100 and Knauf Therm ETIX 1000x500x100 (range of products with different thicknesses). ︎
