LCA & material health results & interpretation Earthwool® Insulation Board
Evaluation programs
The Health Product Declaration®
The HPD Open Standard provides a consistent, and transparent format to accurately disclose the material contents and associated hazard classifications for a building product.
How it works
Material ingredients are screened and categorized according to the hazards that international governmental bodies and toxicology experts have associated with them, based on two listings:
- Authoritative lists maintained or recognized by government bodies
- Screening lists, which include chemicals that government bodies determined need further scrutiny, as well as chemical lists not recognized by any government body.
Assessment scope and results
Health Product Declaration®
Earthwool® Insulation Board Unfaced
Full disclosure known hazards: Yes
Based on the selected content inventory threshold:
- Characterized
- Screened
- Identified
GreenScreen® List Translator Scores
- List Translator Likely Benchmark 1 / Benchmark 1An LT-1 chemical score is based on lists that identify it as a Chemical of High Concern.
- List Translator Possible Benchmark 1An LT-P1 chemical score translates to Possible BM1 and reflects the presence of the chemical on Screening A or B lists and some uncertainty about the classification for key endpoints. Further research is needed on the flagged endpoint to determine if the chemical is indeed a GreenScreen Benchmark 1.
- List Translator Benchmark UnknownAn LT-U chemical score indicates that there is insufficient information to apply the GreenScreen Benchmark Scoring algorithm to the chemical. That can be a good sign. Typically, only hazardous chemicals are found on hazard lists. However, lack of presence on hazard lists can also mean that the chemical has not been well tested. A full GreenScreen assessment will need to be performed to determine if a chemical is a Benchmark 2, 3 or 4.
- Benchmark 2Prefer-safer chemical.
- Benchmark 3Prefer-safer chemical.
- Benchmark 4Prefer-safer chemical.
- No GS data availableNo data available on List Translator lists.
Total VOC Content
Total Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content for liquid/wet applied products. VOCs get released into the air as the wet applied products dry. VOCs can cause acute symptoms, including headaches and dizziness.VOC Content data is not applicable for this product category.
Earthwool® Insulation Board ASJ+
Full disclosure known hazards: Yes
Based on the selected content inventory threshold:
- Characterized
- Screened
- Identified
Total VOC Content
Total Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content for liquid/wet applied products. VOCs get released into the air as the wet applied products dry. VOCs can cause acute symptoms, including headaches and dizziness.VOC Content data is not applicable for this product category.
Earthwool® Insulation Board FSK
Full disclosure known hazards: Yes
Based on the selected content inventory threshold:
- Characterized
- Screened
- Identified
Total VOC Content
Total Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content for liquid/wet applied products. VOCs get released into the air as the wet applied products dry. VOCs can cause acute symptoms, including headaches and dizziness.VOC Content data is not applicable for this product category.
What's in this product and why
Earthwool® Insulation Board products without a facer do not contain any chemicals that are on the Red List. The Red List is a list of chemicals that are not allowed in Living Building Challenge buildings. Being Red List free is our design benchmark at Knauf.
Earthwool® utilizes a bio-based binder chemistry derived from corn that is formaldehyde-free (FF) and more interior friendly than phenol-formaldehyde (P/F) systems.
The ingredients of the unfaced variant avoids the 800+ chemicals of the Living Building Challenge Red List. This is primarily because of its bio-based binder adhesive chemistry known as ECOSE® Technology. ECOSE is based on dextrose or high fructose corn syrup instead of phenol and formaldehyde. Dextrose and fructose can be used interchangeably. The ECOSE binder allows the product to be validated by the UL Environment as formaldehyde-free. Formaldehyde is a Red List chemical.
The Earthwool® Board ASJ+ and FSK facers do not meet Red List free because the facer contains a halogenated fire retardant (HFR). This is why we disclose the ingredients as an HPD rather than Declare used for all other product variants.
Red List Free is our development benchmark and we constantly challenge ourselves on elimination of Red List chemicals. An HFR is used on the faced variants because the products are for exposed applications and must meet stringent fire performance requirements. We are very aware of the concerns associated with HFRs and continually work with vendors on this issue. At the same time, fire performance is critical and current events relating to fire performance of building materials only support the importance of fire-safe products.
At this time, the product is landfilled at end of life. We take extended producer responsibility very seriously and have active programs to address end of life. There is no option other than landfills at this time.
How we're making it healthier
Knauf engages very closely with its vendors to eliminate and avoid chemicals of concern. No competitor has as many Red List free products as Knauf Insulation. We continually reduce our environmental impacts through recycled content and optimize our products by designing them to be transformative.
See how we make it greenerReferences
Health Product Declaration®
Earthwool® Insulation Board - Unfaced
Earthwool® Insulation Board ASJ+
Earthwool® Insulation Board FSK
Health Product Declaration Open Standard - all versions
The standard provides guidance to accurately disclose the material contents of a building product using a standard, consistent, and transparent format.
SM Transparency Report (EPD) ™ + Material Health Overview ™
- EPD LCA
- 3rd-party verified
- Transparency Report (EPD)
- 3rd-party verified
Validity: 12/12/23 – 12/12/28
KNA – 12122023 – 008
- Material HealthMaterial
evaluation - Self-declared
This environmental product declaration (EPD) was externally verified by Harmony Environmental, LLC, according to ISO 21930:2017; UL Part A; UL Part B for Building Envelope Thermal Insulation Products; and ISO 14025:2006.
Harmony Environmental, LLC
16362 W. Briarwood Ct.
Olathe, KS 66062
www.harmonyenviro.com
(913) 780-3328
SUMMARY
Reference PCR
UL Part B: Building Envelope Thermal Insulation v2.0
Regions; system boundaries
North America; Cradle-to-grave
Functional unit / ESL:
1 m2 installed insulation material, packaging included, with thickness that gives average thermal resistance of RSI = 1m2·K/W over an estimated service life (ESL) of 75 years
LCIA methodology: TRACI 2.1
LCA software; LCI database
LCA for Experts v10.7; LCA for Experts 2023
In accordance with ISO 14044 and the reference PCR, this life cycle assessment was conducted by Sustainable Minds and verified by Harmony Environmental, LLC.
Public LCA:
Knauf Insulation North America and Manson Insulation Products
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Knauf Insulation, Inc.
One Knauf Drive
Shelbyville, IN 46176
www.knaufinsulation.us
317 398 4434