
Blog The Essential Role of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Sustainable Construction 01 July 2025 Paul Thompson Technical Specification Manager Why Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are the future of sustainable construction In an industry under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, transparency is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Construction professionals are being called to account for the sustainability of the materials they use. Enter the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): a tool that’s quietly becoming a cornerstone in the journey toward greener, more responsible building practices. But what exactly is an EPD, and why is it so essential for the future of construction? Demystifying EPDs: What they are and why they matter An EPD is a verified document that provides detailed information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle. From raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal, an EPD offers a comprehensive look at factors such as carbon emissions, water use, and energy consumption. Think of an EPD as the sustainability passport for construction materials. It’s a way for manufacturers to prove their environmental credentials and for buyers to make more informed, eco-conscious choices. Environmental Product Declarations launched for entire ductile iron range Top blogs Do all E600 Manhole covers perform better than D400? Planning budgets? Is it time to change your focus on ironworks? How consistent low-leak manhole covers could be key in flooding controls Addressing the growing crisis of surface water infiltration and foul water leakage in sewer networks How ironwork specification affects potholes, and what it means for local authorities? The growing demand for transparency Governments, developers, and contractors are raising the bar for sustainability. Green building certifications like BREEAM and LEED now emphasise the use of products with verified environmental data. In response, EPDs have moved from being a "nice-to-have" to a critical component of modern construction procurement. The UK's recent commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 has only amplified this shift. To meet these ambitious goals, everyone in the construction supply chain must take responsibility for reducing their carbon footprint—and EPDs provide a vital roadmap. The role of EPDs in the carbon calculation Why do EPDs matter for carbon reduction? Because you can’t manage what you don’t measure. EPDs give developers the data they need to calculate the embodied carbon of their projects accurately. For example, infrastructure projects often face intense scrutiny due to their long-term environmental impact. By selecting products with EPDs, project managers can ensure they are taking proactive steps to reduce carbon emissions across the entire project lifecycle. Driving Sustainability Wrekin’s commitment to transparent environmental impact Wrekin Products is proud to lead the way in our industry. We recently took the significant step of offering EPDs for our entire range of ductile ironwork, highlighting the environmental footprint of our products. These independently verified documents give our customers the data they need to make informed, sustainable decisions. By offering full transparency on carbon emissions, energy use, and resource consumption, we’re supporting a more responsible future for the construction industry. This decision to provide EPDs for our products aligns with our goals of providing high-quality, sustainable, and durable construction materials and solutions. Ductile Iron Products Approvals and Certification Building a competitive advantage with EPDs For manufacturers, providing EPDs isn’t just about compliance; it’s a way to differentiate in a crowded market. As procurement policies increasingly favour verified data, companies offering transparency through EPDs are better positioned to win contracts. Contractors and specifiers also benefit from choosing products with EPDs. By doing so, they demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, a factor that can be pivotal when competing for high-profile, environmentally driven projects. A collective responsibility The construction industry is uniquely placed to make a significant impact on global emissions. But to achieve this, we need to move beyond token gestures and focus on tangible, data-driven solutions. EPDs aren’t just for manufacturers—they benefit architects, engineers, contractors, and even end-users by providing clear, consistent, and comparable environmental data. Informed decision-making at every stage of the construction process is essential to reducing our collective carbon footprint. Looking ahead The future of construction lies in sustainability. Regulatory pressures and market demands will continue to grow, and those who embrace transparency now will be the ones to thrive. Environmental Product Declarations are more than just documents—they are tools for change, helping us all build smarter, greener, and more responsibly. As an industry, we need to collaborate to push EPD adoption forward, ensuring that every product choice contributes to a more sustainable future. For more insights into the significance of Environmental Product Declarations and their role in sustainable construction, I recommend exploring our article: What is an EPD? Latest news and blogs Article Environmental Product Declarations launched for entire ductile ironwork range Wrekin Products has become the only UK manufacturer of ductile ironwork to make Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) available for its entire range. Jul 1, 2025 The Essential Role of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Sustainable Construction Blog 01 July 2025 EPDs are comprehensive documents that provide transparent, verified information about the environmental impact of construction materials across their entire lifecycle. Article BSI Awards Wrekin for 30 years of quality management certification We have received a special award by The British Standards Institution (BSI) to recognise 30 years of continuous ISO 9001 certification. Jun 20, 2025 Article Taking to the towpath for canal clean-up day Some of our staff rolled up their sleeves to support the Canal & River Trust at a hands-on clean-up day in Fradley Junction, Staffordshire, marking another milestone in the company’s ongoing partnership with the UK’s largest canal charity. Jun 16, 2025 Latest news and blogs Share this page

Blog

The Essential Role of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Sustainable Construction

01 July 2025

Paul Thompson

Technical Specification Manager

Why Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are the future of sustainable construction

In an industry under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, transparency is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Construction professionals are being called to account for the sustainability of the materials they use. Enter the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): a tool that’s quietly becoming a cornerstone in the journey toward greener, more responsible building practices.

But what exactly is an EPD, and why is it so essential for the future of construction?

Demystifying EPDs: What they are and why they matter

An EPD is a verified document that provides detailed information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle. From raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal, an EPD offers a comprehensive look at factors such as carbon emissions, water use, and energy consumption.

Think of an EPD as the sustainability passport for construction materials. It’s a way for manufacturers to prove their environmental credentials and for buyers to make more informed, eco-conscious choices.

Environmental Product Declarations launched for entire ductile iron range

Top blogs

Do all E600 Manhole covers perform better than D400?

Planning budgets? Is it time to change your focus on ironworks?

How consistent low-leak manhole covers could be key in flooding controls

Addressing the growing crisis of surface water infiltration and foul water leakage in sewer networks

How ironwork specification affects potholes, and what it means for local authorities?

The growing demand for transparency

Governments, developers, and contractors are raising the bar for sustainability. Green building certifications like BREEAM and LEED now emphasise the use of products with verified environmental data. In response, EPDs have moved from being a "nice-to-have" to a critical component of modern construction procurement.

The UK's recent commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 has only amplified this shift. To meet these ambitious goals, everyone in the construction supply chain must take responsibility for reducing their carbon footprint—and EPDs provide a vital roadmap.

The role of EPDs in the carbon calculation

Why do EPDs matter for carbon reduction? Because you can’t manage what you don’t measure. EPDs give developers the data they need to calculate the embodied carbon of their projects accurately.

For example, infrastructure projects often face intense scrutiny due to their long-term environmental impact. By selecting products with EPDs, project managers can ensure they are taking proactive steps to reduce carbon emissions across the entire project lifecycle.

Driving Sustainability

Wrekin’s commitment to transparent environmental impact

Wrekin Products is proud to lead the way in our industry. We recently took the significant step of offering EPDs for our entire range of ductile ironwork, highlighting the environmental footprint of our products.

These independently verified documents give our customers the data they need to make informed, sustainable decisions. By offering full transparency on carbon emissions, energy use, and resource consumption, we’re supporting a more responsible future for the construction industry.

This decision to provide EPDs for our products aligns with our goals of providing high-quality, sustainable, and durable construction materials and solutions.

Ductile Iron Products Approvals and Certification

Building a competitive advantage with EPDs

For manufacturers, providing EPDs isn’t just about compliance; it’s a way to differentiate in a crowded market. As procurement policies increasingly favour verified data, companies offering transparency through EPDs are better positioned to win contracts.

Contractors and specifiers also benefit from choosing products with EPDs. By doing so, they demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, a factor that can be pivotal when competing for high-profile, environmentally driven projects.

A collective responsibility

The construction industry is uniquely placed to make a significant impact on global emissions. But to achieve this, we need to move beyond token gestures and focus on tangible, data-driven solutions.

EPDs aren’t just for manufacturers—they benefit architects, engineers, contractors, and even end-users by providing clear, consistent, and comparable environmental data. Informed decision-making at every stage of the construction process is essential to reducing our collective carbon footprint.

Looking ahead

The future of construction lies in sustainability. Regulatory pressures and market demands will continue to grow, and those who embrace transparency now will be the ones to thrive.

Environmental Product Declarations are more than just documents—they are tools for change, helping us all build smarter, greener, and more responsibly. As an industry, we need to collaborate to push EPD adoption forward, ensuring that every product choice contributes to a more sustainable future.

For more insights into the significance of Environmental Product Declarations and their role in sustainable construction, I recommend exploring our article:

What is an EPD?

Latest news and blogs

Article

Environmental Product Declarations launched for entire ductile ironwork range

Wrekin Products has become the only UK manufacturer of ductile ironwork to make Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) available for its entire range.

Jul 1, 2025