Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) offer a standard way of communicating the output from a life-cycle assessment (LCA), enabling users to assess the environmental impact of pipe systems, and allowing comparisons to be made with alternative products at the system level.
TEPPFA commissioned a series of independent studies by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) to measure the environmental footprint of various plastic pipe systems based on LCA. The work was validated by the Denkstatt sustainability consultancy in Austria.
Having an objective of ensuring transparency about the impact of plastic pipe systems on environment, the EPDs are based on the ISO standard for Type III environmental declarations (ISO 14025) and the European norms EN 15804 and EN 15942.
TEPPFA EPDs are not registered in any specific EPD programme.
The data for the plastic systems are provided by the TEPPFA member companies. The data for the non-polymer alternative materials are based on publicly available figures.
A whole range of processes have been assessed to calculate the overall impacts. The EPDs show the environmental effects of a product over its entire life cycle, including extraction of raw materials, production of materials and the product, construction, use and end-of-life treatment.
View summaryThe EPD Calculator demonstrates the value that plastic pipe systems offer for a sustainable future and compares the environmental impact across different piping systems. It summarises findings of the independent study by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) measuring the environmental footprint of various plastic pipe systems based on LCA.
The EPD Calculator tool has not been designed for and shall not be used to make comparisons between plastic piping solutions.
USETwenty one application areas were selected for the LCA of plastic pipes, covering both the supply and drainage-sewage sides.
TEPPFA has decided not to renew the existing industry average EPDs after their expiry date, in accordance with its member companies’ decision to work with company specific EPDs in line with changing market demand. TEPPFA will, however, keep the expired EPDs available on its website as documentation of past LCA and EPD studies.