PIMA Publishes Updated Industry-Averaged Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

The Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association, the trade association representing North American manufacturers of polyiso insulation, announced the publication of updated Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for polyiso insulation products. The third-party verified and ISO-compliant EPDs provide industry-averaged environmental impact data for polyiso roof insulation, polyiso wall insulation, and high-density (HD) polyiso roof cover board products manufactured by PIMA members in the United States and Canada.

What is an EPD?

An EPD is an internationally recognized document and reporting tool that discloses the environmental impacts of building materials like insulation to help inform building product selection. EPDs are developed using product category rules (PCRs) and are based on standardized life cycle assessments (LCAs) to ensure that architects, specifiers and sustainability professionals have access to accurate and credible product data. 

A major milestone in sustainability and transparency reporting 

The publication of PIMA’s updated EPDs marks another important milestone in the Association’s long and demonstrated history of leadership on sustainability and transparency reporting. 

“The publication of industry-averaged EPDs for polyiso products is no small feat and the participating manufacturers should be applauded for their participation and commitment to the project," said PIMA's Senior Director of Technical Affairs, Marcin Pazera, Ph.D. “Over the past two years, PIMA worked with participating manufacturers and outside LCA experts to collect, analyze, and validate data submitted from facilities across North America. The end result is EPD reports that provide an accurate and comprehensive look at the impacts and advantages of polyiso products used throughout the construction sector.”

What architects, specifiers and sustainability professionals need to know about PIMA’s EPDs

PIMA’s newly published EPDs for polyiso roof insulation, polyiso wall insulation and HD polyiso roof cover boards include several key features:

• Cradle-to-Grave LCA for Polyiso: Reports environmental impacts across the full product life cycle, based on a 75-year building service life

• Product Category Rule (PCR) Compliance: Published in accordance with applicable PCRs for insulation and roof cover board products, including the recently updated and enhanced PCR for building thermal envelope insulation

• Scaling Factors for Accurate Results: For polyiso roof and wall insulation products, the EPDs include scaling factors that allow professionals to calculate impacts based on specific insulation board thicknesses 

• Roof Replacement Factor: For polyiso roof insulation and HD polyiso roof cover board, the EPDs consider the impacts of a full roof replacement during the 75-year building service life 

• Industry-Wide Data Coverage: Includes primary manufacturing data from 2023 for all participating PIMA member facilities 

• Third-Party Verification: Independently verified and published in NSF’s official EPD database to ensure confidence 

Polyiso EPDs support sustainable building and certification

The updated polyiso EPDs provide industry-averaged data to enable informed material selection and contribute to the development of high-performance, sustainable buildings. These EPDs can also support compliance with green building programs such as LEED and other LCA-based certification frameworks.

“As the focus on the environmental impacts of buildings and building materials continues to increase, PIMA is well-positioned to engage and educate regulators and industry stakeholders on the life cycle benefits and environmental impacts of polyiso products, including polyiso roof insulation, polyiso wall insulation, and high-density (HD) polyiso roof cover board,” said PIMA President, Justin Koscher.

Source: PIMA