Mondo has chosen to certify its rubber flooring for indoor sports facilities with the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) in order to provide additional data for any professional to make an informed choice, taking into account criteria that are fundamental today, such as sustainability and environmental protection.
Let's find out more about this important document.
The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a document that describes the environmental impacts associated with the production of a specific product or service.
Specifically, it is a voluntary declaration based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, which is useful for identifying and quantifying the environmental impacts at all stages of the life cycle: raw material extraction, transport, production process - including logistics and packaging - distribution, use, recycling, disposal.
The EPD is prepared in accordance with ISO 14025 (Type III environmental labels and declarations), 14040 and 14044 (LCA - Life Cycle Assessment). The declaration is verified by an independent third party prior to publication.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a detailed analysis of the aspects that make up a product or service. By analysing the entire life cycle, the most significant processes and aspects can be identified.
The results of the LCA study make it possible to:
The Life Cycle Assessment and the consequent EPD - Environmental Product Declaration - are drawn up in compliance with strict regulations, whose guidelines and requirements are collected in the PCR (Product Category Rules), developed according to the ISO 14025 standard.
On average, the EPD process takes about six months. The final report is the last step in a complex process. UL, one of the world's leading safety companies and an EPD certifier, has summarised the process of preparing an EPD in 6 points:
The Environmental Product Declaration issued by UL is valid for 5 years. However, any commissioning manufacturer has the right to have new certifications issued before the EPD expires in order to provide up-to-date information on the sustainability of its products and the environmental impact of their lifecycle.
The EPD is a valuable collection of technical information on the sustainability of a product. Its publication is important because it allows the market to be informed about the environmental impact of a product or service; it is a useful tool because it provides, in a clear, transparent and verifiable way, the information necessary to make a responsible, accurate and conscious choice of supplier to rely on when selecting environmentally friendly products. The EPD meets the needs of an increasingly environmentally aware market. Moreover, thanks to the EPD it is possible to:
optimise production processes: reduce costs and waste by monitoring the environmental performance of the product/service;
The advantages of the EPD represent significant opportunities for companies that want to invest in their corporate image, in creating greater trust and involvement with customers, in reducing their environmental impact and in contributing to the fight against climate change.
The achievement of the Environmental Product Declaration reflects Mondo's commitment to creating planet-friendly solutions that focus on continuous improvement and innovation, as part of the company's broad sustainability journey.
To find out more about flooring that has achieved the EPD contact our consultants.