Building Products of Canada - Industrial Wood Fiber Panel - 1/2"

Declaration details

Manufacturer

Building Products of Canada

Program operator

Smart EPD

Declaration number

SmartEPD-2024-048-0211-01

Date of issue

December 2, 2024

Valid until

December 2, 2029

Product category rules (PCR)

Smart EPD® Part A Product Category Rules for Building and Construction Products and Services v1.01 (version 1.01)

Standard

ISO 14025:2006 and ISO 21930:2017

Declared unit

1 m2 of product

System boundary

Cradle to gate with other options (A1 - A3)

Product specificity

Product Specific

Manufacturing specificity

Facility Specific

Manufacturing plant

BP Canada (420 Rue Dupont, Pont-Rouge, Québec G3H 1S2, Canada)

Product category

Wood

Product SKU

BIN0547, BIN0548, BIN05485, BIN0549, BIN0540, BIN05402, BIN054997, BIN0549144, BIN0448A, BIN0440A, BIN04402A,BIN0448, BIN0449, BIN0440, BIN04402, BIN044997 BIN0348, BIN0348T (no coating), BIN034997, BIN0348108, BIN0349121, BIN03402, BIN0348144

Verifier

Rifat Karim, Independent Consultant

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.

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 substances required to be reported as hazardous are associated with the production of this product

Product description

BP SmartCore industrial panels are wood fiber boards. They are manufactured from 100% post-industrial wood residues and are 100% recyclable. Bonding agent is a natural renewable resource and contains no harmful chemicals (such as formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde, hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), pentane or VOC’s). Wax emulsion is used to control water absorption. Industrial wood fiber boards are rigid, lightweight, confer sound-deadening properties and are environmentally friendly. They can contribute to qualifying for green building certification programs like LEED®. Some panels are available with an FSC® Mix credit certification. Panels are clay coated, smooth and have an ironed surface. This allows an excellent surface retention of adhesives. Material can be beveled, nailed, drilled, or die cut, laminated to hardboard, plywood, metal, cork, plastic, or other material. Applications for industrial wood fiber panels range from acoustical dividers and privacy screens for office furniture, tackboards for school walls, packaging and crating protection, to furniture and architectural paneling for sound deadening properties. Panels are available in 3 thicknesses (3/8 in., 7/16 in., and 1/2 in.) and multiple dimensions: widths of 48 in. and 49 in. and lengths from 84 in. to 144 in. This EPD focuses on 1/2 in. thickness wood fiber panel.

Interpretation

To fully understand the results of the life cycle assessment , it is crucial to comprehensively review and ensure completeness, sensitivity, and consistency. The completeness check ensures that all relevant processes, inputs, and outputs are considered in the LCA. This study carefully examined key stages such as raw materials, raw material transportation, and manufacturing, and found no significant data gaps. The sensitivity check supported these findings by exploring the impacts of varying natural gas consumption by ±10%, showing that changes in natural gas usage could reduce environmental impacts. A consistency check was also performed to ensure that the assumptions, data sources, and methodologies used in the LCA were applied consistently and aligned with the study's goals. These checks validate the reliability of the LCA findings and emphasize the significant impact of manufacturing processes, energy efficiency, raw material selection, and end-of-life considerations on the overall environmental performance of the products studied.

The results of the life cycle assessment indicate that the manufacturing process, and raw material phase have the most significant impact on the environmental performance of the products under study. More than 60% of the overall global warming potential of each thickness is attributed to the manufacturing process. The majority of the manufacturing impacts are due to the use of natural gas, which contributes to 95% of the manufacturing impacts . Improving energy efficiency at the manufacturing facility in Pont Rouge, QC would help to reduce the overall environmental impacts for all product groupings.

Moreover, the sensitivity analysis of the natural gas impacts at ±10% of the current manufacturing model provides valuable insights into the influence of energy inputs on the environmental impact intensity of wood fiber panels production. The results indicate that reducing natural gas consumption by 10% could achieve a more significant decrease in overall environmental impact potentials. These findings underscore the importance of prioritizing natural gas efficiency improvements to achieve more substantial environmental benefits in wood fiber panels production