Simplifying environmental documentation terms

Environmental Product Declarations and Health Product Declarations are technical documents with many distinct components. To aid in comprehension, we developed this glossary of terms.

EPD glossary

Declaration number: A unique identifier assigned to an EPD to differentiate it from others, typically issued by a program operator.

Product RSL (reference service life): The expected service life of a product, which serves as a baseline for assessing environmental impacts over its lifetime.

EPD type: The classification of the EPD based on its scope, such as industry-wide EPDs or product-specific EPDs.

EPD scope: The boundaries of the assessment, such as cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle.

ISO 14040: An international standard outlining principles and frameworks for conducting Life Cycle Assessments.

ISO 14044: An international standard providing detailed requirements and guidelines for performing an LCA.

Reference PCR (product category rules) and version number: The specific set of rules, requirements and guidelines for developing EPDs for a particular product category, including the version used.

LCA software and version number: The software tool and its version employed to perform the Life Cycle Assessment, e.g., SimaPro or GaBi.

LCI database and version number: The Life Cycle Inventory database and its version, containing environmental data used in LCA calculations, e.g., ecoinvent.

LCIA methodology and version number: The Life Cycle Impact Assessment method and version applied to translate inventory data into environmental impacts, e.g., TRACI or ReCiPe.

Company description: A summary of the organization responsible for the product and its EPD, often including mission, operations and sustainability efforts.

Product description: A detailed overview of the product being assessed, including its functionality and applications.

Applicable product standards: Industry or regulatory standards that the product complies with, ensuring performance and safety benchmarks.

Technical data: Key product specifications, such as physical dimensions, weight and performance metrics.

Manufacturing: A description of the production processes involved in creating the product, including raw material sourcing and energy use.

Material composition: A breakdown of the materials and substances that make up the product, often by percentage.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): A systematic analysis of the environmental impacts associated with a product’s entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end of life.

• Declared unit: The functional measurement used in the EPD to quantify the product’s environmental performance, e.g., per square meter or kilogram.

• System boundary: Defines the stages of a product’s life cycle included in the EPD, such as manufacturing, use and disposal.

• Cut-off criteria: Guidelines determining which inputs and outputs are excluded from the LCA due to their insignificance in terms of mass, energy or impact.

• Allocation: The method used to distribute environmental impacts among co-products or shared processes in a product system.

Life Cycle Assessment results: The quantified environmental impacts derived from the LCA, such as global warming potential or water use.

Life Cycle Assessment interpretation: The process of analyzing LCA results to draw conclusions, identify improvements and support decision-making.

Environmental activities and certifications: Highlights of the company’s sustainability efforts, such as renewable energy use or certifications like ISO 14001 or LEED.

HPD glossary

Inventory reporting format: The structure and methodology used to document the material content and associated health information of a product in the HPD.

Threshold disclosed per: Indicates how the reporting thresholds (e.g., by weight percentage) are applied to disclose the presence of materials or chemicals in the product.

Threshold Level: The minimum concentration level (e.g., 0.01% or 100 ppm) at which a material or chemical is reported in the HPD.

Explanation(s) provided for residuals/impurities: Details or justifications for how and why residuals or impurities (unintended substances) are present in the product, based on the manufacturing process or supply chain.

Volatile organic compound content: The amount of VOCs present in the product, typically measured to determine compliance with air quality standards and regulations.

Content in descending order of quantity: Materials and chemicals listed in the HPD are organized by their concentration in the product, starting with the highest quantity.

GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals: A hazard assessment methodology that evaluates chemicals based on their environmental and human health impact, often used to identify safer alternatives.

HPD Priority Hazard List: A compilation of authoritative lists of chemicals associated with health or environmental hazards, used to assess materials in the product.

Certifications and compliance: Documentation of any third-party certifications or compliance with relevant standards (e.g., LEED, WELL or Cradle to Cradle Certified).

Accessories: Additional components or materials that are part of or used with the primary product but are not integral to its function (e.g., installation kits).

References: Citations or sources of data, methodologies or standards used to compile the HPD, ensuring transparency and accuracy.

The National Gypsum Design & Resource Center offers a comprehensive documentation library, including EPDs and HPDs, to help support architects in designing buildings that meet today’s and tomorrow’s sustainability demands.

Contact your regional construction design manager or the National Gypsum Construction Services team at 1-800-NATIONAL^® with any questions.