What are the main reasons that pushed you towards the voluntary EPD certification?
Among the natural stones, Trentino Porphyry has a strong specificity with high performance capabilities combined with delicate chromatic variations that have always favored its widespread use on all European and American markets. The strong demand on these markets for increasingly eco-sustainable natural products and the obligation introduced with national legislation on CAM, has prompted the members of ESPO s.c. of Albiano (TN) to provide its products with an environmental certification that can be used on the national and international market hence the choice of EPD certification.
Which product of your company has obtained the EPD? What are its main features?
The EPD certification involved the entire varied range of products obtained both from splitting (cubes, tiles, slabs, etc.) and sawing (slabs, tiles, steps, etc.) and therefore most of the products used in the works public and private buildings in general. The entire study on the life cycle of products (LCA) was conducted in 17 companies, also allowing a comparison of the impacts produced in individual companies for similar productions with the identification of initiatives aimed at reducing and optimizing consumption.
What are the main advantages obtained from the publication of the Environmental Product Declaration? What are the repercussions on the final consumer?
The pandemic that has hit the world in the last two years, if on the one hand it has reduced the demand and consequently limited the promotion of the EPD certification, on the other it has highlighted a greater attention of consumers to environmental issues and therefore highlight the sustainability of its products. it will be more and more an added value.
Do you think that EPDItaly can contribute to spreading the culture of product sustainability?
The development of accredited environmental certifications certainly goes in the direction of giving more dignity to any industrial production as it first of all makes producers more aware who are an important part in building a more responsible world and to give their contribution because all the components of human work are more sustainable.
How important, in your opinion, is the presence of sustainable Italian products within a Program Operator that makes the international network one of its strengths?
The channels for disseminating environmental certifications favor the growth of a culture of sustainability especially when the information provided is clear and transparent and therefore credible. Initiatives that unite the operators also create comparison and therefore the possibility of cultural growth even before productive growth and therefore initiatives in this direction are welcome.