First Eco Platform EPDs published by the Dutch programme operator
Ecomatters is very proud to announce that we have created the first Eco Platform EN15804 EPDs, published by the Dutch program operator Stichting MRPI, after being accepted as Eco Platform member in September of this year.
Environmental Product Declarations for Dulux Trade
Dulux Trade, a UK brand of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints, commissioned Ecomatters the production and certification of 23 Environmental Product Declarations corresponding to 110 different paint products. These products are intended to be used as interior or exterior decorative paints for everyday living on surfaces such as plaster, masonry, wood and others.
The EPDs report the environmental performance of reference products, calculated as the weighted average of individual paint formulations, characteristics, manufacturing processes and logistics, and declare all the life cycle impacts of the decorative paints. The system boundaries include product manufacturing, construction process, use, and end-of-life.
The advantage of having ECO platform EPDs is that these EPDs can be used in the European market but also in international ones. Members of the ECO Platform have a common quality management system which includes verification procedures for mutual recognition. Therefore, providing information in an EPD in a more homogenous format and following common guidelines.
Eco Platform certification and EN15804 compliance
The declarations provide environmental information and data for business-to-business communications to certify the performance of Dulux Trade products. Dulux Trade requested Ecomatters to comply with EN15804 in order to align with the requirements of ska ratings and other sustainability schemes, and therefore meet their customer demands. In addition, the LCA study should align with the existing corporate reporting methods and models, aiming at satisfying the requirements of international standards while obtaining consistent results.
Ecomatters took full hands on the project, not only preparing the EPDs but also managing the review and certification process. The turnkey project aimed at satisfying all the client’s needs and guaranteeing an effective and problem-free process. Ecomatters was the main contact point for the verifier (NIBE) and certifier (Stitching MRPI), implementing smoothly all feedback and comments received.
After the successful completion of the project, the EPDs are now included in both MRPI and Eco Platform databases, being suitable for their use in all European and other international contexts.
Duncan Lochhead, Commercial Sustainability Manager of Dulux Trade: “A full EPD is a complex document requiring a lot of data analysis and review. The robust support we received from the Ecomatters team was invaluable in achieving our ambition of providing EPDs for Dulux Trade products to our UK customers. Ecomatters attention to detail reassured us that every stage of our products’ lifecycles was mapped and quantified accurately”.
