Page 21 - Green Builder May-June 2018 Issue

Timber is the new green. With more attention than ever being focused
on materials used in buildings and how they impact the environment,
wood is again becoming a major player in the marketplace.

CREDIT: JAMES LOESCH/FLICKR

ROLE MODELS A tool of the trade: EPDs

HE WOOD PRODUCTS industry was the first major construction
group to develop industry-wide Environmental Product
Declarations (EPDs), verified by a third party. EPDs are standardized
T tools that provide information about the environmental footprint
of the products they cover. Third-party verification is provided by
Underwriters Laboratories Environment (ULE), an independent certifier of
products and their sustainability. Thus far, nine wood industry EPDs have CREDIT: AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL
been renewed by ULE for another year.
Based on international standards (ISO 14025), EPDs have worldwide
applicability and include information about product environmental impacts
such as resources, energy use and efficiency, global warming potential, Second life. The Reuse Wood Directory provides design and
emissions to air, soil and water, and waste generation. Business purchasing construction communities with options on what to do with wood
decisions will likely require the kind of environmental information provided products after they hit end of first life.
by EPDs in the future to account for factors such as carbon footprint. its online directory as a way of supporting design and construction
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “Wood communities in their reuse and recycling efforts when using wood products.
products can displace morefossil fuel intensive construction materials The online resource allows searching for companies within a searchable
such as concrete, steel, aluminum and plastics, which can result in geographic area that provide reuse and recycling services that include
significant emission reductions.” wood and wood-based products, for those looking to provide such products
AWC also worked with industry partners to develop a North American as well as those looking to obtain such products for reuse. Both strategies
recycling and reuse directory for wood and wood products, the Reuse Wood help divert materials from the construction waste stream and reduce the
Directory (www.reusewood.org), which provides options for use at end need for landfill space, while providing second-life opportunities for wood
of first life. Recognizing the importance of sustainability, AWC pioneered products.

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