Background This product-specific plant-specific declarations was created by collecting production data from the DBC facility in Phoenix, AZ. All unit processes were modeled using primary data. Secondary data sources include those available in ecoinvent v3.11, Industry data 2.0, and US-EI 2.2 databases. Literature data was used to fill any data gaps to complete the inventory.

Allocation Primary manufacturing data for X-Series EIFS and MCM systems were collected separately for their respective production periods. Allocation of manufacturing resources was performed proportionally to the total square footage produced for each wall system type. Square footage was selected as the allocation metric because it best represents manufacturing effort, capturing material throughput and processing time.

While some recycled materials are used in the upstream production of components and for product packaging, there are no recycled materials used within the DBC facility. The recycled materials come burden free to the product system. There were no co-products manufactured. The allocation procedures used in background data sets were accepted without modification.

Cut-off criteria for including mass and energy flows are set at 1% of renewable primary energy use, 1% of nonrenewable primary energy use, 1% of the total mass input for a unit process, and 1% of environmental impacts. The total of excluded input flows per module shall not exceed 5% for energy, mass, or environmental impacts. An exception is made for substances with hazardous or toxic properties, which must be reported even if they fall below the 1% mass threshold. No known flows are deliberately excluded from this declaration, and no substances considered to be hazardous or toxic according to the TRI or local regulations are present in the products. Therefore, these criteria have been met. Biogenic carbon is included in the reported results.

Quality

Inventory data quality is judged by its precision (measured, calculated, or estimated), completeness (e.g., unreported emissions), consistency (degree of uniformity of the methodology applied on a study serving as a data source), and representativeness (geographical, temporal, and technological).

Sustainable Minds worked with the DBC team to obtain a comprehensive set of primary data associated with the manufacturing processes and supply chain. For purchased components, data was obtained from existing EPDs wherever possible, providing transparent, product-specific environmental information. Where suitable EPDs were not available, assumptions for upstream processing were developed using inputs from DBC, supplemented with secondary resources such as published product documentations, publicly available technical specifications, and relevant industry reports. The product system was checked for mass balance and completeness of the inventory. Capital goods were excluded since they are assumed not to significantly affect the conclusions of the LCA. Otherwise, no data were knowingly omitted. The inventory was considered complete based on our understanding of the manufacturing site, supply chain, and a review with key stakeholders on the DBC team.

Primary data were collected with a similar level of detail, while background data were sourced primarily from the ecoinvent database, and other databases were used if data were not available in ecoinvent or the data set was judged to be more representative. Where country-specific data were unavailable, global or rest-of-world averages were used as proxies. Other methodological choices were made consistently throughout the model.

Upstream EPDs used as data sources

• Box stud insulation: Owens Corning EPD for Thermafiber® Mineral Wool
• U channel: CEMCO EPD for Cold formed steel framing and accessory products
• Gypsum sheathing: Georgia-Pacific Gypsum EPD for 5/8" DensGlass® Fireguard® Sheathing Gypsum Panel
• Diverter track: ClarkDietrich EPD for HDS® Framing System
• Insulfoam: EPS Industry Alliance EPD for EPS Thermal Insulation
• Cement: Salt River Materials Group EPD for Portland Cement
• Z girt: Advanced Architectural Products EPD for GREENGirt
• MCM panel: Alpolic EPD for Metal Composite Panel

Electricity data sets used for manufacturing

• Grid electricity: Electricity mix, eGrid subregion, AZNM/US U
• Solar electricity: Electricity, production mix photovoltaic, at plant/US US-EI U