Environmental Product Declarations in national and international practice

To evaluate buildings according to the sustainability criterion, an information system for building materials and products is required that encompasses the entire life cycle of a product. Environmental product declarations (EPDs) meet these requirements. The information system is based on data regarding a) the materials and substances used in the building products, b) the flows of material and energy in the individual manufacturing and transport processes and c) what substances are released during use and disposal. The environmental relevance of the information is determined with reference to emissions data obtained from analyses of the eco-balance.