The Aluminum Association has released environmental product declarations for various types of aluminum products.
The EPDs provide detailed information on major aspects of a product’s potential environmental impact such as global warming, acidification and eutrophication. The declarations will educate end users of aluminum — from builders to transportation firms to consumer products companies — on the metal’s impact.
EPDs can be used to earn LEED credit points for green building certification under LEED V4.
The Aluminum Association partnered with PE International to develop EPDs for five representative aluminum products. A total of 25 aluminum companies participated in the effort and supplied data for almost all of their operational facilities. The EPDs were certified by UL Environment.
The industry has developed EPDs on:
- Hot-Rolled Aluminum: Aluminum sheet and plate rolled at a pre-heated temperature and often used for building, transportation and other applications.
- Cold-Rolled Aluminum: Aluminum sheet and plate rolled through a secondary “cold rolling” process to make the metal thinner and stronger. Often used to make building roofs and sidings, sheet for automotive and other transportation applications and packaging materials.
- Extruded Aluminum: Aluminum that is fed through a hydraulic press to make a particular shape. Often used to make doors, windows, curtain walls and structural components for buildings, automotive and other transportation components and various consumer durable products.
- Primary Ingot: Raw material produced directly from bauxite and used to make casted, rolled or extruded aluminum.
- Secondary Ingot: Raw material produced from recycled aluminum and used to make casted, rolled or extruded aluminum.
The report was developed in accordance with ISO 14025 reporting standards.