Third-party verified environmental data helps project teams evaluate building enclosure solutions and meet growing sustainability reporting requirements.
The Metal Construction Association (MCA) has released updated industry-average environmental product declarations (EPDs) for three major metal cladding product categories: insulated metal panels (IMPs), metal composite materials (MCMs), and single skin metal cladding. The declarations provide independently verified environmental impact data to support sustainability reporting, material selection, and compliance with green building programs.
Environmental product declarations are standardized, third-party verified documents that provide transparent information about a product’s environmental impacts over a typical life cycle. Developed using data from multiple manufacturers, industry-average EPDs serve as valuable benchmarking tools for architects, owners, and contractors. They are particularly valuable during the design phase before a specific manufacturer has been selected.
“As sustainability expectations continue to grow across the construction industry, architects and building owners need credible, accessible environmental data to inform material selection,” said Jeff Henry, executive director of MCA. “These industry-average EPDs demonstrate the metal construction industry’s commitment to transparency, while providing the design community with trusted benchmarks that support informed decision-making and sustainable building practices.”
The industry average EPD for insulated metal panels (IMPs) helps document the sustainability advantages of IMP systems, including high thermal efficiency, reduced operational energy demand, and integrated air, vapor, and insulation performance in a single panel assembly. The declaration provides designers with quantifiable environmental data that can support whole-building life cycle assessments and sustainability planning.
For metal composite materials (MCMs), the EPD documents key sustainability attributes such as aluminum recyclability, reduced material waste through project-specific fabrication, and the long service life associated with durable coil-coated finishes. The declaration gives architects and specifiers verified environmental performance data to support material evaluation and specification decisions.
The EPD for single skin metal cladding highlights environmental benefits commonly associated with roll-formed metal cladding systems, including recycled steel and aluminum content, long service life, low maintenance requirements, and end-of-life recyclability. The declaration provides industry-wide environmental impact data that can help project teams support sustainable building design goals.
In addition to supporting sustainability assessments, MCA’s industry-average EPDs help project teams compare materials using consistent environmental metrics, simplify documentation for green building programs, and establish benchmarks against which product-specific EPDs may be evaluated.
