Market and legal regulations
To date, manufacturers are not obliged (mandatory by law) to provide EPDs. But, the market increasingly regulates the use of EPDs in various applications itself.EPDs reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly of the product's life cycle and do not allow for any information to be hidden or downplayed, giving the specifier or designer an honest look at that product's environmental impact throughout the life cycle.EPD reports are standardized, verified documents that transparently present credible information about a product's impact on the environment. Following the ISO14025 standard (i.e., Type III Environmental Declaration), EPDs are useful for communication, comparison, and decision-making.
Why is EPD important : As EPDs are formal reports of a material's environmental footprint, they can also be used by specifiers in order to help control building waste. Waste in the construction and demolition industry is currently a very significant issue, and via EPDs, the re-use and recycling of building materials can be encouraged.
How long does it take to do an EPD
The creation process for an EPD usually takes several months. In particular, the data collection and calculation of the life cycle assessment are time-consuming. The verification of the EPD data by the IBU through the independent reviewers varies significantly for each case.
How long does it take to get an EPD : By handling the third party verification and publication, and by streamlining the initial data collection, One Click LCA Pre-verified EPD Generator dramatically reduces the time and costs involved too. It cuts down the time it takes to create an EPD from several months to a couple of weeks.
EPDs are not usually mandatory
For instance, EPDS are not yet compulsory in the UK, but the market is increasingly self-regulating as manufacturers seek to demonstrate carbon transparency and market their products accordingly.
The verification process shall be carried out by an approved individual verifier or an accredited certification body with knowledge and experience of the types of products, the industry, and relevant standards of the product covered by the EPD and its geographical scope.
How much does it cost to get an EPD
According to a recent international survey the cost of EPDs was around $15,000 per EPD.Once the appropriate breed choices are made, the producer has the opportunity to use EPDs as a tool in sire selection. EPDs allow fair comparisons of future progeny performance for bulls of the same breed. Cow-calf producers have EPDs as an opportunity to add predictability to the genetics of their cattle.Third-party EPD verification demonstrates that the data was collected in accordance with the applicable PCR and meets all ISO requirements. The process generally involves: Critical review of the LCA to ensure it conforms with ISO 14040-44 and the relevant PCR.
EPD Traits
All of the breed associations that have EPD report four traits: Birth Weight — in pounds at birth, excluding maternal influence. Birth weight is the most important factor in Direct Calving Ease (see below).
What is a good calving ease number : I generally recommend bulls with a +6 or higher for use on heifers.
What does EPD tell you : Expected progeny differences (EPDs) have been applied to improve the genetics of beef cattle for almost four decades. Expected progeny differences are predictions of the genetic transmitting ability of a parent to its offspring and are used to make selection decisions for traits desired in the herd.
How is EPD calculated
EPD values are calculated as average relative deviations, not actual levels, of the unit of measurement of the trait. Assume that one bull has a Birth Weight EPD of +4.2 and another bull of the same breed has -1.4.
The greater the number, the lower the risk for calving difficulty, Weaber said. Calving ease EPDs are expressed in percentage units of unassisted births. For example, a bull with a calving ease EPD of 12 is expected to have 7% more unassisted births from first calf heifers than a bull with a CE EPD of 5.Depending on your herds calving ease history and your limited facilities I would try to stay with EPDs in the 70-75% range or better. That would be a CED direct number of 3 or higher and a BW number of 1.0 or lower.
What is the difference between health product declaration and EPD : Now that we've reviewed EPDs, we'll turn our attention to Health Product Declarations or HPDs. While EPDs focus on environmental impacts and life cycle, HPDs focus on human health and potential health hazards.