Gypsum Association Updates Gypsum Board EPDs

Gypsum Association updates EPDs for 1/2-inch lightweight and 5/8-inch Type X gypsum boards

The Gypsum Association has released updated environmental product declarations for two of the most commonly specified gypsum panel products in North America, providing architects, designers and contractors with the latest environmental performance data to support sustainable building design.

The new EPDs cover 1/2-inch lightweight gypsum board and 5/8-inch Type X gypsum board, following the Association's Smart EPD product category rules for gypsum panel products. The ISO 21930-compliant, Type III declarations provide cradle-to-grave environmental information, including energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, air emissions and other key sustainability metrics associated with manufacturing, installation and end-of-life performance.

"The Gypsum Association has an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship," said Steve Meima, executive director of the Gypsum Association. "The development and release of these ISO 21930 compliant, Type III, cradle-to-grave EPDs demonstrates our member companies' continued efforts to transparently report environmental impacts as a means of contributing to sustainable design and construction."

The updated documents reflect two products widely used throughout the construction industry. Half-inch lightweight gypsum board remains the standard for interior wall and ceiling applications in residential construction and many commercial projects, while 5/8-inch Type X gypsum board is specified where fire-resistance-rated wall and ceiling assemblies are required, including commercial, institutional and multifamily buildings.

The EPDs are intended to help project teams pursuing green building certifications, particularly under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system. Under LEED v5, the documents can contribute toward the Materials and Resources credit for Building Product Selection and Procurement, which combines previous material disclosure and sourcing credits into a single framework.

Projects registered under LEED v4 or LEED v4.1 can continue using the EPDs to pursue points for Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Environmental Product Declarations, as well as Whole-Building Life-Cycle Assessment credits that recognize reductions in a building's embodied environmental impact.

Alongside the EPDs, the Association also released an updated life-cycle assessment report, A North American Industry Average Cradle-to-Grave Life Cycle Assessment of 1/2-inch Lightweight and 5/8-inch Type X Conventional Gypsum Board. The report provides the underlying data used to support life-cycle assessment calculations and LEED documentation.

The Gypsum Association said the updated resources are available through gypsum.org, where design and construction professionals can access life-cycle assessment tools and sustainability documentation for gypsum panel products.