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Austell, Ga. — Nov. 18, 2015 — YKK AP America, Inc. (YKK AP) announced the completion of a life cycle analysis (LCA) spanning all seven façade categories produced in its ISO14001-certified commercial manufacturing center in Dublin, Ga.
YKK AP can now provide product-specific Type III environmental product declarations (EPDs) for its entrances, storefronts, curtain walls, window walls, windows, balcony doors, and sun controls.
The EPDs have obtained third-party validation and certification from UL Environment, one of North America’s most trusted EPD program operators. YKK AP is the first manufacturer to provide Type III EPDs and voluntarily disclose the environmental impacts for an entire product portfolio dedicated to commercial building façades.
“With the release of LEED v4, building product manufacturers have been put on notice that environmental transparency is increasingly becoming an important attribute in the product selection process,” said Mike Turner, vice president of marketing, YKK AP. “To further support our environmental mission to mitigate the impact of our manufacturing, we worked with leading sources in sustainable manufacturing to document the life cycle of our products and provide public transparency with our EPDs.”
LEED v4 is the U.S. Green Building Council’s first major update to credit requirements. Projects seeking certification to this version can earn “Materials and Resource” credits by using products that have EPDs. Product-specific Type III EPDs provide the highest credit value as the product’s environmental footprint can be more accurately reported.
“Aluminum is a major component of YKK AP’s commercial product offering and has the most readily recognized recycling programs in the world,” Turner said. “Combined with our focus of minimizing our environmental footprint throughout the manufacturing process, YKK AP’s products are well suited to the green building movement. The availability of EPDs will allow us to help the industry make informed decisions about the products selected for high-performance buildings and also help us refine and manage our manufacturing processes to improve environmental performance and become a more sustainable company.”
For more information about the YKK AP America Environmental Product Declarations, click here.
