Cellulosic fiberboard, laminated strand lumber EPDs released

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The American Wood Council (AWC) and the Canadian Wood Council (CWC) have announced the release of two new environmental product declarations (EPD) for cellulosic fiberboard and laminated strand lumber (LSL), bringing the available EPDs for North American wood products to 11. The cradle-to-gate, industry-wide EPDs are recognized by green building rating systems and are available for free download on the AWC or CWC websites.

The North American Fiberboard Association (NAFA) partnered with AWC and CWC providing life cycle inventory data necessary to complete the cellulosic fiberboard EPD.

EPDs are standardized tools that provide impact assessment results for potential environmental indicators, primary energy consumption and material resource consumption. The EPDs are developed in accordance with ISO Standard 21930 Sustainability in building construction – Environmental declaration of building products. The North American wood products industry has taken its EPDs one step further by obtaining third-party verification from UL Environment, a business unit of Underwriters Laboratories and an independent certifier of products and their sustainable attributes. The UL Certified EPD trademark, which appears on the cover of the EPD, ensures rigorous compliance with the appropriate standards.

“Whether you are a builder, designer or consumer, you want to know about the products you specify and use. Wood products can displace more fossil-fuel intensive construction materials, which can result in significant emission reductions. AWC and CWC are pleased to have also joined with NAFA on cellulosic fiberboard, to expand the EPD library,” said AWC President and CEO Robert Glowinski.

“Various construction sector stakeholders are increasingly being called upon to not only balance functionality and cost objectives, but also to reduce environmental impacts on the built environment. The CWC is proud to partner with the AWC on initiatives such as EPDs, taking ownership for our industry and affirming the environmental benefits of building with wood/wood products,” said CWC President Michael Giroux.

“For more than 100 years, wood fiberboard has been an integral part of a wide variety of construction, industrial and commercial applications. The wood fiber industry possesses a longstanding reputation for producing environmentally friendly products. This EPD and the LCI/LCA data reveal that this standing is well deserved. Moreover, the findings substantiate that significant improvements have been realized in recycling process water. Fiberboard remains the life cycle choice for conservation, application and reclamation,” said NAFA President Jim Pieczynski.

Based on international standards (ISO 14025 and ISO 21930), EPDs have worldwide applicability and include information about product environmental impacts such as use of resources, global warming potential, emissions to air, soil and water, and waste generation.

For more information and to download currently available EPDs and transparency briefs for wood products, visit www.awc.org/greenbuilding/epd.

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