5.HPL and the environment
The fact that HPL has excellent environmental properties was already highlighted in a life cycle analysis in 1998. An important milestone in making the environmental impact of HPL transparent was the publication of the first environmental product declaration in 2012 by the European association of HPL manufacturers, the International Committee of the Decorative Laminates Industry (ICDLI). The EPD contains important information about the ecological product properties of HPL in accordance with standard EN 438 Part 3 (HPL, thickness < 2 mm) and Part 4 (HPL Compact, thickness ≥ 2 mm). Environmental product declarations are being used more and more frequently by architects and developers, particularly in the construction sector, to demonstrate and ensure the most sustainable construction possible in tenders. In 2017, a new EPD, also to the highest Type III standard, was created for HPL. The high standard was re-examined and confirmed by an independent certification body in 2022.
According to the international standard ISO/DIS 14020:2022, there are three types of environmental product declarations. ISO 14025 represents the most comprehensive level that can be achieved. As this type is verified by an independent third party, it offers the highest degree of objectivity and neutrality.
An environmental product declaration provides quantitative, verified, and objective information about the environmental impact of a product or service based on clearly defined parameters. It considers the entire life cycle of the product (raw material extraction, production, transport, use, disposal). The creation of an environmental product declaration is based on relevant international technical rules, which are laid down in so-called PCRs (Product Category Rules). These define the content and presentation of the environmental product declaration for specific product groups and are therefore normative in nature.
The life cycle inventory analysis describes which resources a product consumes during its life cycle (e.g. energy, water, renewable and non- renewable resources). The life cycle inventory analysis also states the air, water and ground emissions. The impact assessment is based on the results of the life cycle inventory analysis and it provides concrete information on environmental effects such as the greenhouse effect, the depletion of the ozone layer, acidification or the exhaustion of fossil and mineral resources. Additional indicators such as the type and quantity of waste produced are also shown.
