Technology Glass Technology
Vitro publishes North America’s first third-party-verified EPD for architectural glass

Aug. 3, 2017 – Vitro Architectural Glass has published third-party-verified, product-specific Type III Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its flat glass and processed glass products, becoming the first architectural glass manufacturer in North America to do so.

EPDs are voluntary and transparent reports made by companies regarding the life-cycle impacts of their products on the environment. Reporting and documentation for product-specific EPDs address energy use and emissions associated with a product’s manufacture and packaging, as well as the extraction, transportation and processing of related raw materials.

Paul W. Bush, director of technical services, Vitro Architectural Glass, said publication of the EPDs highlights the company’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. “EPDs continue to grow in value as green building certification programs and sustainable design become more mainstream. Today’s architects demand greater transparency and Vitro Glass is committed to meeting their expanded requirements,” he explained. “As part of that commitment, we decided to pursue the publication of product-specific, third-party-verified EPDs and to post them publicly with the goal of making it easier for architects to confirm the information we provide and to include our EPDs in their sustainability and certification documentation.”

The product-specific flat glass EPD is valid for all annealed and untreated glass products manufactured by Vitro Glass. The product-specific processed glass EPD is valid for Vitro Glass products that undergo secondary treatment, such as the addition of magnetron sputtered vapor deposition (MSVD) coatings, heat-strengthening or fabrication into multi-pane insulating glass units (IGUs).

Both EPDs published by Vitro Glass are certified by ASTM International as conforming to the requirements of ISO 14025. Life cycle assessments (LCAs) for flat glass and processed glass products were performed according to ISO 14040, ISO 14044 and EN 15804 following the product category rules (PCRs) for each product type.

EPDs can help building projects earn up to two LEED® v4 Materials and Resources credits under the category “Building Product Disclosure and Optimization.” Vitro Glass also provides a pathway to LEED credit through the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ (C2C) Products Program under the same category. In 2008, as PPG Glass, Vitro Architectural Glass became the first U.S. glass manufacturer to earn C2C product certification and today offers more Cradle to Cradle Certified architectural glass products than any other company.