ERFMI publishes new EPDs and updated EPD calculator

The European Resilient Flooring Manufacturers’ Institute (ERFMI) has published the latest Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) covering the full range of resilient floor coverings and updated the EPD calculator on its website (www.erfmi.com).

An Environmental Product Declaration is an independently-verified and registered document that provides transparent and comparable information on the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifetime.

ERFMI, which represents the interests of the resilient flooring sector in Europe, worked with its members to provide data for an EU-wide Life Cycle Assessment of a broad range of flooring types and specifications. From this study, carried out by Think Step in collaboration with ERFMI and its individual members, a series of EPDs for ten types of resilient flooring was produced.

Manufacturers of each flooring type within ERFMI supplied detailed information on their production processes, from raw materials to energy consumption and emissions, for evaluation by an independent third-party certifier.

The EPDs, which can be downloaded from the IBU website, cover polyvinyl chloride floor coverings; Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT); safety flooring; smooth rubber floor coverings, linoleum and cork floor tiles. A key change is the division of the former printed laminate polyvinyl chloride floor coverings category into two to reflect the different product categories. The two new categories are Glued down LVT and Semi flexible LVT with mechanical locking (both EN ISO 10582).

An updated fast and easy-to-use EPD calculator is available now on the ERFMI website. Users input their project description, product type and expected service life, as well as the chosen flooring product. Using this information, the EPD calculator generates within second a detailed EPD that provides all the required data to evaluate the environmental impact of the flooring material over its full life cycle.

Commenting on the updated EPDs and online calculator, ERFMI Managing Director Jane Gardner says: “ERFMI and its members are committed to the transparency and environmental performance of their products and the generic EPDs are an important part of this commitment. Within a building certification programme, an EPD can contribute to better visibility, thereby helping decision-makers to choose products according to their preferences or regulations.”

ERFMI represents the interests of 17 manufacturers and distributors of resilient floor coverings across Europe, who between them produce in excess of 360 million sq metres of flooring a year and employ 11,000 people.

Resilient floor coverings are an entire product family of flexible flooring solutions available in sheet, tiles and planks. Their wide range of different functionalities includes acoustic properties, static control, slip resistance and easy maintenance. Strong and durable, they are used in domestic, commercial and industrial applications and are available in a wide range of modern designs and colours.

More information on ERFMI can be found at www.erfmi.com