EPD® guides sustainable choices in decoration products

In a scenario where the search for sustainable products is growing, a question resonates among architects, designers, and consumers: how to reliably verify if products have environmental performance? This major industry challenge has been efficiently overcome with the Environmental Product Declarations (EPD®s) – or Environmental Declarations of Products (DAP) – that map, measure, and minimize the impacts of consumer goods production.

The EPD® is a public report, based on the science of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), that reveals the consumption of resources, carbon emissions, and the ecological impact of a product. Thus, consumers can choose flooring, a fabric, or a piece of furniture not only for its aesthetics but also based on a detailed environmental document that proves the implementation of productive processes according to the circular economy.

In Brazil, the Carlos Alberto Vanzolini Foundation (FCAV) leads the EPD® Brazil program, which operates in total alignment with the International EPD® System — the organization responsible for establishing norms, procedures, and international standards for the development and registration of declarations. EPDs are verified and registered documents that communicate, in a comparable way, the environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of a product — from raw material extraction to the end of life.

"The EPD® is based on Life Cycle Assessment according to ISO 14040 and 14044 standards and follows specific rules for each product category within an internationally recognized program, which guarantees consistency and comparability," explains Felipe Queiroz Coelho, manager of EPD® Brazil.

Brazilian companies achieve EPD®s

The company Santa Luzia, considered the largest polystyrene recycler in Latin America, was one of the first in Brazil to obtain an EPD®. The granting occurred for recycled polystyrene profiles used in the manufacturing of baseboards, ceiling moldings, and finishes.

The search for the seal arose from the need to communicate the company's environmental commitment to the market clearly and officially, explains Kely Augusta Pilon, marketing and relationship manager at Santa Luzia. "Although we already had solid practices based on post-consumer recycling and the circular economy of expanded polystyrene (EPS), there was still a technical document, recognized internationally, that demonstrated this environmental responsibility with transparency and credibility." According to her, the EPD® "allowed us to transform into an official declaration what has always been in our DNA."

Another example is Guararapes, a company specialized in the manufacture of MDF and plywood panels, which was one of the first in its segment to obtain an EPD® in the country. The company achieved EPD®s for the medium-density and high-density fiberboard panel without coating (MDF/HDF Guarafiber), available in thicknesses ranging from 2.5 to 45 mm; and for the coated medium-density and high-density panels (MDF/HDF melamine Guarafiber), available in thicknesses from 2.5 mm to 45 mm.

Another achievement was for the line of uncoated wood plywood (Guaraply Plywood) available in thicknesses ranging from 7 mm to 30 mm. "Naturally, challenges emerged, such as the need to align registration formats, consolidate data from different sources, and ensure traceability throughout the entire life cycle of the product," comments Larissa Jarillo de Lima, head of ESG at the company.

Despite these initial difficulties, "the effort to organize and standardize the information allowed for the identification of gaps, improvement of the quality of existing controls, and establishment of a more robust database for future environmental analyses. In addition, the approach with suppliers strengthened transparency and facilitated understanding of the impacts associated with raw materials."