LYONS, Ore. – Architects, builders and engineers are seeking information on the life cycle environmental impact of the products they use. Freres Lumber Co. published its first Environmental Product Declaration for its Mass Ply Panel (MPP). Product specific information in this report was independently validated by the internationally recognized standards organization, ASTM International.

EPDs provide a standardized, objective assessment of the relative environmental impact of a product beginning with material sourcing and reforestation practices, to material transportation all the way through to the final product manufacturing and packaging. 

ASTM International, formerly known as American Society of Testing and Materials, independently verified and validated Freres’ MPP EPD information, finding that MPP meets necessary standards for builders, architects and engineers alike to meet various green building and LEED standards.

“An EPD is a standardized tool used to communicate the environmental performance of a product or system,” said Maureen Puettmann, director of operations for CORRIM - The Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials. “Freres Lumber’s MPP EPD, which was third-party verified by ASTM, found that more carbon is stored in MPP than is released during production of the product.”

The EPD validates that MPP creates less global warming potential upon manufacturing than its competitors in the same category. Additionally, MPP uses approximately 20 percent less wood than CLT and can be constructed from small diameter timber (as small as 5 inches in diameter) to create large format panels. As a result, builders looking to use MPP can do so more affordably and faster. Now, they can also be assured that MPP produces fewer CO2 emissions than other building materials and is built from a renewable resource, unlike steel and concrete.

See frereslumber.com/mpp