Transparency and Performance are crucial to our sustainability and construction decarbonization program. Carbon-reducing initiatives are well under way, from the powering of the plants that make our products to the ingredients used to make them. Transparency shows our accountability, and it helps building professionals plan accurately to minimize every project’s carbon footprint.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

This tool helps in quantifying the environmental impact of our products. It can be performed ‘Cradle to Gate’, i.e., manufacturing focus, ‘Cradle to Grave’, i.e., until the end-of-life, and more recently but less typically, ‘Cradle to Cradle’, i.e., bringing back the material into the loop. For example, our Vancouver drywall plant uses, on average, 16% post-consumer gypsum (from jobsites, wastes, etc.) – the highest in North America! – while also reusing 100% of its manufacturing scrap.

An LCA serves as a holistic baseline for comparing carbon footprints accurately by considering factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water consumption, acidification, and ozone layer depletion. Quantifying energy and material requirements across supply chains helps improve overall environmental profiles. Every LCA empowers us to measure, improve, and make informed decisions toward a sustainable future.

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

An in-depth assessment of a product’s environmental effects, from raw material extraction to disposal or rejuvenation, is reported in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Think of this as a detailed report card for a product’s eco-friendliness. EPDs may include information on energy consumption, resource usage, emissions, and an end-of-product life impact, such as landfill greenhouse gas emissions generated when consumers discard the product.

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EPDs are a tangible way to achieve transparency, especially when the data reported is confirmed independently. All CertainTeed EPDs are 100% third-party verified. This can also help achieve LEED points. Precision is important in the EPD certification process. While we participate in the creation of industry-wide EPDs, we also strive to provide facility-specific EPDs for most of our products. 

LCA Action Plan

Whether known as a Life Cycle Impact Reduction Action Plan or an LCA Optimization Action Plan, this is a document that suggests planned improvements and CO2 reduction for each initiative. It is a non-binding, good-faith projection that we share publicly. It uses internal research and development tools and baseline data and can only be provided for product with existing EPDs. Find our Montreal plant’s LCA Action Plan here. This, too, can contribute to LEED points.

Transparency isn’t just a buzzword; it’s our compass. By revealing our processes, impacts, and intentions, we hold ourselves accountable. It’s not enough to merely reduce our carbon footprint; we must do so with unwavering clarity. Transparency also empowers building professionals to plan with confidence, knowing that, together, we are moving forward each day toward our shared sustainable future.