CLICK HERE to take our CEU on EPDs!

We like to think Mermet is always leading the way, especially in the world of product transparency - and with the launch of our own Environmental Product Declarations (EPD®s) for 30 individual Mermet fabrics, we KNOW we are. Now you might be wondering, what the heck is an EPD and why does it matter? 

As stated above, an EPD is an Environmental Product Declaration which provides valuable data to help you understand an entity’s environmental impact. Think of it as a product’s Nutritional Facts. Other than our products, EPDs can be found for chemicals, building materials, furnishings, food, clothing, and so much more. The basis of an EPD comes from a study of the impact made by a product - from raw materials to the end of the product’s life, or a product’s Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). Through the LCA, we determine the environmental impact at each point of the product’s life cycle. It gives us an idea of just how much we are emitting into the environment, and in turn will help us in efforts to decrease our overall environmental impact. 

EPDs are divided into six different impact categories: global warming potential, depletion of good ozone, formation of bad ozone, acidification, eutrophication, and abiotic depletion. On Mermet’s EPDs, you will see data related to each of these categories for each of our products' life cycles. An EPD is valid for five years and after this time has passed, an updated Life Cycle Analysis must be performed in order to renew the declaration. 

By being transparent about the production of our products through EPDs, we hold ourselves accountable to being the best we can be. We are constantly striving to have a lower effect on our environment  - making spaces where you live, work, and visit - low impact. By being first movers in the industry on establishing EPDs, we hope to encourage product transparency in our industry and beyond. 

Not only do EPDs check points for environmental transparency, these declarations also get you one step closer to LEED® certification. We’re afraid we’ve introduced another acronym, but bear with us. A LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification signifies building practices which have a low impact, are cost effective, and are overall better options for people and the surrounding environment. Selecting one of our solar shade fabrics with an EPD helps contribute to credits toward LEED® certification. It’s an obvious choice, right?

There’s so much to discover with EPDs and we are ecstatic to launch our very own. To learn more about EPDs, click here to participate in Mermet’s CEU about EPDs - narrated by our Product Manager, Nathan Wintermute.