Aluminum Association releases updated environmental product declarations

The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Virginia, has released updated environmental product declarations (EPDs) that show reductions in the environmental impact of aluminum product types, including primary aluminum ingot, recycled aluminum ingot, aluminum extrusion products and aluminum sheet products.

The Aluminum Association says an EPD “is a comprehensive, internationally harmonized report that describes the potential environmental impact of a particular product through its life cycle.” According to the Aluminum Association, EPDs are used in the building and construction industry to help companies decide on what products to use in their projects.

Charles Johnson, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association, says North American aluminum is “more sustainable than ever before,” according to the latest declarations.

“The domestic industry has cut the carbon footprint of aluminum production by half over the past 30 years, and these new EPDs help us to tell this story to customers and other stakeholders,” he says.

Sustainability advancements since the EPDs were first released in 2014 have led to improved environmental performance across all aluminum product types, the Aluminum Association says. Some of those advancements include increased use of renewable energy for primary aluminum smelting, improved efficiency in downstream manufacturing processes and reduced direct process emissions. The declarations enable aluminum end users in the building and construction industry to make informed choices about using the metal. Specifically, EPDs are used to help earn LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) credit points for green building certification under LEED V4. 

The Aluminum Association says the EPD reports are based on industrywide survey data and represent the average production performance in the United States and Canada. The reports were certified by UL Solutions, which is a respected program operator and the leading firm in verifying EPDs in North America, and developed in accordance with ISO 14025:2006 reporting standards.

The new aluminum declarations can be downloaded here.