Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are independently verified documents that set out the environmental impacts of construction products in a clear, standardised format. For construction materials, they give designers, clients and contractors a reliable basis for comparing options using consistent data rather than broad claims. In Europe, EPDs for concrete products are prepared in line with EN 15804 and the complementary concrete product rules in EN 16757, helping to ensure that results are produced on a like-for-like basis and checked by an accredited third party before publication.
Each EPD is built from a life cycle assessment covering the full product journey, from raw material sourcing and manufacture through to construction, use, end-of-life and any benefits from recovery or reuse. This means the data does not just reflect upfront impacts, but provides a broader picture across the stages commonly grouped as modules A, B, C and D. For project teams working on whole-life carbon assessments, that consistency is increasingly important because EPD data is now routinely referenced in specification tools, building certification schemes and lower-carbon procurement processes.
For the precast concrete sector specifically, EPDs are especially valuable because they bring credible, comparable evidence to material choice decisions that are now judged on more than just structural performance, durability, manufacturing efficiency and programme certainty. They help specifiers understand embodied carbon alongside technical performance, support manufacturers in benchmarking and improving their processes, and give clients greater confidence when selecting solutions for projects. As demand grows for verifiable environmental data, robust EPDs are becoming an increasingly important way for the precast industry to demonstrate both transparency and progress.
MPA Precast has published sector EPDs for a range of different product types. Sector EPDs for concrete drainage products are currently in development and will be available shortly.
Member companies of MPA Precast has also increasingly producing EPDs and having them verified. Links below will take you to drainage member EPDs.
FPMcCann
Marshalls