Vinyl Roofing Membrane EPD Details Cradle-to-Grave Impacts

Vinyl roofing manufacturers are the latest to release an industry-wide environmental product declaration, or EPD. EPDs disclose a number of quantifiable environmental impacts resulting from extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, and sometimes other stages of the product life cycle.

The vinyl roofing membrane EPD tracks the material from extraction through the end of its useful life (“cradle to grave”), including transportation and installation, and was verified by ASTM International. Among other details, the EPD reveals that the vast majority of global warming potential (up to 96.8%) and nonrenewable energy use (up to 95.6%) come from extraction and manufacturing of the material. A square meter of 48 mil PVC roofing, for example, embodies about 5.41 kg of carbon equivalent from its production (“cradle to gate”) but just 0.13 kg from its disposal, based on the complex life-cycle assessment methodology underlying the report.