Environmental Product Declarations are becoming more common across the construction supply chain as builders’ merchants respond to rising demand for transparency in material sustainability. An EPD provides verified data on the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle, helping architects, contractors and clients make decisions.
What an Environmental Product Declaration includes
An EPD summarises a product’s carbon footprint, energy use and environmental impact based on standardised life-cycle assessment methods. This allows buyers to compare products on a like-for-like basis, with clear information on emissions, resource use and waste generation. Transparency in environmental impact is increasingly expected by clients, regulators and investors as part of sustainable construction practices. According to industry reporting In recent years, there has been a gradual increase in the demand for Environmental Product Declarations from manufacturers, especially those in the construction sector reflecting broader industry trends towards measured sustainability.
How merchants are responding
Builders’ merchants are adapting by broadening their product portfolios to include more lines with certified EPDs. This shift not only helps contractors meet regulatory or certification requirements, but also supports informed procurement. For people exploring builders merchants jobs, rising demand is reflected in listings such as //bmcareers.com/distributors-and-builders-merchants-vacancies/.
Benefits for the construction sector
Greater availability of EPD-assessed products allows builders, architects and clients to plan projects with detailed environmental data. It can also help reduce lifecycle costs by identifying products with lower embodied carbon or energy use. With sustainability increasingly integrated into design and specification stages, the trend towards EPDs in merchant stock lists is likely to continue.
