Cellular PVC- Restoration Millwork® Sheets

Declaration details

Manufacturer

CertainTeed Saint-Gobain

Program operator

Smart EPD

Declaration number

SmartEPD-2024-034-0162-01

Date of issue

September 5, 2024

Valid until

September 5, 2029

Product category rules (PCR)

UL Part B: Cladding Product Systems EPD Requirements (version 2)

Standard

ISO 14025:2006 and ISO 21930:2017

Functional unit

1 m2 of product of installed cladding product

System boundary

Cradle to grave (A1 - A3, A4, A5, B1 - B7, C1 - C4)

Product specificity

Product Specific

Manufacturing specificity

Facility Specific

Manufacturing plant

Social Circle (Ronthor Dr, Social Circle, GA, USA)

Product category

Cladding

Product service life

50 years

Verifier

Amy E. Landis

LCA software

Sphera LCA for Experts (formerly GaBi) 10.8

Program instructions

Smart EPD General Program Instructions v.1.0, November 2022

Life cycle assessment results

Results per 1 m2 of product of installed cladding product.

Environmental Impact Assessment Results

Resource Use Indicators

Waste and Output Flow Indicators

Carbon Emissions and Removals

ND = not declared. Life cycle modules: A1-A3 product stage, A4-A5 construction process, B use stage, C end of life, D benefits and loads beyond the system boundary.

Material composition

Hazardous substances

No regulated hazardous or dangerous substances are included in this product.

Scenarios

Transport to the building site (A4)

Fuel type

Diesel

Vehicle type

Standard Freight Trailer

Transport distance

500 km

Capacity utilization

85%

Weight of products transported

6.73 kg

Packaging mass

0.0142 kg

End of life (C1-C4)

Collected with mixed construction waste

6.73 kg

Product or material for final disposal

6.73 kg

Product description

The Restoration Millwork sheets are made of expanded rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with a small-cell micro-structure. These sheets come in woodgrain and smooth surface textures and are available in widths of 4’ with lengths ranging from 8’ to 20’. Actual thicknesses options include 3/8”, 1/2”, 3/4”, and 1”. While there are other products made at the respective facility, the 8-foot size sheet has been chosen as the representative product for this product line due to its consistent adherence to high selling standards. These products serve as an exemplar for the entire product line, showcasing the quality and performance that are expected. Furthermore, they reflect the popularity and demand in the market, making them critical items for analysis.

Feature and Benefits

- Low maintenance and long-lasting

- UV-resistant material

- Class A (Class 1) Flame Spread Classification

- Meets ICC and CCMC code requirements

Interpretation

This study was conducted following appropriate ISO standards and best practices and intended to understand the life cycle impacts of Cellular PVC sheets. All data for the operation of the Social Circle, GA facility, as well as raw material transportation distances and modes, was collected directly from CertainTeed Siding. Efforts were made to check the data for internal consistency and to verify data with plant personnel. Sub-metering energy use for each critical stage in the manufacturing process would allow for more detailed analysis and is recommended. The findings in this research are limited by the inherent uncertainty of creating a representative model through LCA.

Many assumptions were made in the modeling of the product system with representative processes and datasets. While quality control was undertaken at each step in building the LCI and conducting the LCIA, uncertainty is present in the results since the data represents only one year of manufacturing information from Social Circle, GA. Detailed evaluation of more manufacturing plants and time periods would reduce the uncertainty. Some level of uncertainty is inherent in conducting LCA and decision making must reflect this fact.

Based on the results from the life cycle assessment, the life cycle impacts are strongly driven by the raw materials (A1), manufacturing processes (A3), and replacement (B4), each contributing 55%, 8% and 33%, respectively to the total global warming potential The impacts of the PVC resin are significant when considering the impacts of the Restoration Millwork® sheets product. Identifying alternate uses or recycling options for polyvinyl chloride at the end of its useful life may reduce the end-of-life and potential raw materials burdens of recycled products. If possible, incorporating more recycled content (post-consumer polyvinyl chloride) into the product could help reduce the environmental impacts of the raw materials stage in the life cycle of Restoration Millwork® sheet products. As recycled content increases, the raw materials driving impacts could decrease, thus improving the overall environmental impacts. Polyvinyl chloride resins and process aids are the largest contributors to the raw material impacts of the product line, responsible for up to 50% of the environmental impact potentials in several categories. Moreover, increasing energy efficiency would help reduce the overall manufacturing environmental impacts from the plant.