Environmental Product Declaration (EDP) for Hemp and Lime Bio Composite building products

What is an Environmental Product Declaration (EDP)?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a document that provides information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle.

You can see the EPD from our Hemp Block supplier Senini which covers Hemp and Lime Bio Composite Building products here: Senini EDP (pdf opens in new tab)

What is the purpose of an EDP?

EPDs make it possible to compare the environmental impacts of different products and materials in order to select the most sustainable option. They are primarily intended to facilitate business-to-business transactions, although they may also be of benefit to consumers who are environmentally focused when choosing goods or services.

Companies implement EPDs to improve their sustainability goals and demonstrate a commitment to the environment to customers.

The goal of an EPD is to inform and communicate with stakeholders about a product’s environmental impact. EPDs are built around the life-cycle assessment practice and methodology. However, their scope extends beyond life-cycle assessment, because of the additional requirements from the standards and related frameworks.

What types of EDPs are there?

There are several types of EPDs that cover different life-cycle stages of a product.

• Cradle-to-gate EPD involves only the manufacturing process and harvesting of a material. It has the minimum amount of data for life-cycle assessment.
• Cradle-to-grave EPD includes the whole life cycle of a product, specifically covering its maintenance and the end of life.
• Cradle-to-gate with options includes the minimum requirements that are present in the cradle-to-gate option with a few additional information modules from cradle-to-grave EPD variation.

Are EDPs mandatory?

EPDs are voluntary, but their use is rapidly growing in line with awareness about environmental impacts. Both public and private stakeholders are increasingly demanding EPDs. There are a number of benefits to creating or using EPDs including market differentiation, regulation and legal requirements, and credits and certification.