SCS Drives Product Transparency to Next Level with Enhanced Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and Health Product Declaration (HPD) Services

SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading third-party certifier for the green building industry, unveiled details of its enhanced Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and Health Product Declaration (HPD) services at the Greenbuild 2013 Conference and Expo in Philadelphia this week (Booth #1949).  These enhancements are designed to more effectively fulfill the promise of transparency, accuracy, scientific credibility, and comparability offered by these product declaration tools, while remaining flexible and responsive to the needs of individual companies.

Architects, designers, and specifiers are increasingly seeking EPDs and HPDs in response to new building project credits offered under USGBC LEEDv4.  EPDs are summary reports of product-related environmental impacts based on a “cradle-to-grave” life cycle assessment (LCA).  HPDs are disclosures of product content and potential health hazards from chemicals of concern.

“SCS provides two types of EPDs – basic EPDs for those seeking LEED v4 credits, and ‘Full Transparency’ EPDs providing even more comprehensive and reliable information based on advanced LCA,” said Stowe Beam, Managing Director of SCS’ Environmental Certification Services division.  “Similarly, we help companies satisfy their essential HPD obligations, and also offer extended services that enable companies to more fully communicate the safety of potentially hazardous chemicals in products, as well as options for making long-term improvements to those products.”

SCS has been innovating in the field of LCA and LCA-related ecolabeling since the early 1990s, when it pioneered the world’s first EPDs, then called Environmental Report Cards.  In 1997, it introduced the international standards development community to this concept, which was adopted as “Type III” LCA-based environmental disclosure labeling. Today, SCS is a major contributor to the new, voluntary LCA standard being developed through the ANSI process, LEO-SCS-002.  This standard incorporates advanced LCA metrics and improved environmental data access to increase the accuracy, reliability, and ultimate usefulness of LCA results related to environmental and human health impacts.  

SCS’ HPD services build upon years of experience working with companies along entire life cycle supply chains. These services include consulting to help companies navigate the complexities of compiling relevant data from suppliers regarding chemicals of concern.  SCS also provides independent verification of completed HPDs according to the guidelines being established by the Health Product Declaration Collaborative and the “Pilot Third Party Verification Program” program being launched at Greenbuild 2013.   

SCS’ HPD and EPD services complement its full suite of certification offerings for building products and manufacturing processes – such as BIFMA level®, SCS Indoor Advantage™ Gold, FloorScore®, Green Squared®, FSC Certification and Environmentally Preferable Product –that help building industry professionals earn LEED credits.

SCS Global Services has been providing global leadership in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development for three decades. SCS is a Certified B Corp™, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.