The EPD programme
within GUT product testing
GUT has been providing objective answers to ecological and environmental questions associated with the production and use of textile floor coverings for many years using Life cycle Assessments ( LCA’s). However, EPD’s now fulfil a much more consistent and objective solution for this purpose. Here you will find generic EPDs to download as PDF files. However, Product and manufacturer specific EPDs can be downloaded via the product passport.
Generic EPDs
Generic EPDs are available for the most important types of textile floor coverings, and are based on current average design and production data of similar products manufactured by GUT member companies. The process involved an intensive study being made of the many different production processes and materials being used. The results were then critically reviewed and analysed by a team of external experts. Due to GUT’s previous experience and long track record in this field, a reliable model of different production methods of textile floor coverings was developed. This flexible and modular concept allows EPD’s for existing products to be reliably calculated as well as facilitating predictions about the effects of changes in the production process or the influence of recycling variants by using a balanced “what-if” analysis. Here you can download the generic EPDs for the most important product types.
GUT EPD’s in the Ökobaudat database
The ÖKOBAUDAT, which is the database of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) in Germany, provides LCA data for all kinds of building materials, construction processes, energy and disposal processes. The generic GUT-EPD data for textile floor coverings have been transferred to this database so they can be used in a wide range of building evaluation systems.
EPDs in the French market
FDES (Fiche de Déclaration Environnementale et Sanitaire / Environment and Health Declaration Document) in France, is an EPD which is supplemented by certain other impact categories. It is based on EN 15804 as are other EPD’s and is also only used for construction products. FDES is prepared by an external body and then further verified by an independent expert third party. They are freely available on INIES which is the French national database and since July 2017 every construction product in France must have a FDES. Working with UFTM and all the GUT member companies based in France, GUT has developed four different FDES for the most common types of carpets in the French market.
Generic EPDs for textile floor coverings: download here
The pile weight ( the weight of the surface layer) has been chosen as the criteria to classify the generic EPD’s and corresponds with the respective luxury classes (LC 1 to LC 5). The EPD data was calculated using the maximum weight in each luxury class.
LC 1 < 400 g/m² ; LC2 < 600 g/m² ; LC3 < 800 g/m² ; LC 4 < 1000 g/m² ; LC 5 > 1000 g/m²
All further information can be found in the relevant EPD document – download here:
Tufted carpet tiles
Pile fibre PA6 virgin (vPA6)
Tufted carpet tiles with a bitumen backing
Pile fibre PA6 100 % recycelt (rPA6)
Tufted carpet tiles with a bitumen backing
Tufted broadloom carpets with a textile backing
Pile fibre PA6 virgin (vPA6)
Tufted broadloom carpets with a textile backing
Pile fibre PA6 100% recycelt
Tufted broadloom carpets with a textile backing
EPDs for manufacturers
GUT prepares EPDs for member companies & external third parties which include suppliers for the textile floor covering sector as well as manufacturers of other types of floor covering.
GUT works closely with the Institute for Building and Environment (IBU) when preparing EPDs, a full list of which appear on their website.
