To provide Design Engineers with all the information needed for sustainable planning, egeplast has published its first Environmental Product Declarations. The following products have received an EPD: egeplast 90 10®, egeplast SLM® 3.0, egeplast SLA® Barrier Pipe, and egeplast Microduct Green Line, which consists of 100% high-quality recyclate. Overall, PE pipes have a very good environmental footprint – especially compared to other materials.
In times of increasing environmental requirements and more demanding sustainability goals, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are playing an increasingly important role in the construction and infrastructure industry. An EPD is an environmental product declaration based on standardized Life Cycle Assessments (LCA). It provides transparent, reliable, and comparable environmental information about a product—from raw material extraction through production and use to disposal or recycling.
Why are EPDs important for the selection of polyethylene pipes?
Objective environmental assessment
EPDs provide a scientifically sound basis for evaluating the ecological impacts of polyethylene pipes (PE pipes) compared to other pipe materials such as concrete, cast iron, or PVC. This facilitates sustainable decision-making in construction projects.
Support for certifications
Transparent environmental information is essential for sustainable construction projects and environmental certifications. EPDs help improve the environmental profile of projects.
Comparability and transparency
Since EPDs are prepared according to international standards (e.g., ISO 14025, EN 15804), they enable fair and manufacturer-independent comparability of different pipe systems. This allows Design Engineers, engineers, and construction companies to make fact-based decisions.
Resource conservation and circular economy
Polyethylene pipes are durable, corrosion-resistant, and highly recyclable. EPDs precisely demonstrate the impact of material selection on the entire life cycle of a product, thereby promoting sustainable solutions in pipe infrastructure.
Reduction of carbon footprint
Through the analysis of raw material extraction, transport, production, and disposal, EPDs identify potential savings in CO2 emissions. Polyethylene pipes often perform positively here because they are lighter than metal pipes and therefore consume less energy during transport and installation.
When comparing EPD data, PE pipes demonstrate an overall very good environmental profile through their energy-efficient production, low CO2 emissions, long service life, recyclability, and low operating costs, particularly in comparison to other materials that are manufactured in a very energy-intensive manner, such as cast iron or steel pipes. Since PE pipes are lighter than cast iron or steel pipes, CO2 emissions during transport are also significantly reduced. The smooth inner surface of PE pipes reduces hydraulic resistance, so less pumping energy is required. This makes them the more sustainable choice for many applications, particularly in water and gas supply as well as in industrial pipeline construction.
Conclusion
EPDs are a valuable tool for anyone who wants to make environmentally friendly and sustainable decisions in pipeline construction. They enable transparent evaluation of the environmental performance of polyethylene pipes and contribute to optimizing the ecological sustainability of construction projects. After an intensive phase of data collection, egeplast has now received its first product declarations, and these are publicly available (www.environdec.com/library). In addition to the important supply products egeplast 90 10®, egeplast SLM® 3.0, and egeplast SLA® Barrier Pipe, an EPD has also been published for egeplast Microduct Green Line, which consists entirely of recycled material. The remaining products will follow, so that in the future we will simplify sustainable planning with our products for Design Engineers.
Source: Sustainability
