LCA or Life Cycle Assessment is a method that deals with sustainability in the wider sense of the word. This methodology assesses products from the point of view of their impact on the environment throughout their entire life cycle, i.e. from the extraction of the raw materials through to their production, transport and use and on to the end of their service life and their disposal. In recent years, the emphasis on the environment has increased, which has also been reflected in our customers’ interest in materials and products with a minimal impact on the planet. It is not easy to decide which product is better from an ecological point of view and LCA studies are used to assist with this.
EPD or Environmental Product Declarations are a tool that transparently provides objective, comparative and third-party-verified data concerning the environmental impacts of products and services throughout their life cycle. We provide our customers with EPD containing structural information about the products’ influence on the environment, including energy and water consumption, waste production, the influence on climate change, eutrophication, damage to the ozone layer and other aspects, based on completed LCA.
It is, however, important to realise that the acquisition of EPD certificates does not automatically mean that a given product is “ecological” or “green”. It is possible to use the EPD to compare the ecological properties of various products and their impact on the environment.
EPD certificates are used to present the real impact of a given product on the environment. These certificates transparently show the manufacturer’s commitment to measuring and reducing any impacts on the environment, which has become a critical element in a period when increasing numbers of people are placing an emphasis on the ecological aspects of their purchase decisions. Fatra, a. s. began dealing with LCA studies in 2012. The first study was created in 2017 for the waterproofing film and floor covering segment. Given the fact that EPD certificates remain valid for 5 years, work on updating the LCA study with an expansion into the BOPET film segment commenced last year. The studies were completed in July 2023 and the EPD certificates have been issued for selected floor coverings, waterproofing membranes and BO PET films.
