EPD documents help Metehe meet growing environmental requirements in construction
Metehe Oy is a Finnish family business that has manufactured steel products in Finland for decades. Its solutions include roofing products, facade products and coil products for both consumers and professionals. Etteplan prepared environmental product declarations (EPDs) for two of Metehe’s steel product groups. The EPDs give Metehe’s customers reliable data on the environmental impact of its products. They also help Metehe meet tightening requirements in the construction industry.
The project in a nutshell
Challenge
Environmental data requirements have grown in construction. It was important for Metehe to meet its customers’ needs and provide compliant environmental information on its products.
Solutions and Services
Etteplan prepared standard-compliant EPDs for Metehe’s products. The EPDs were verified by a third party and published in the Rakennustieto EPD program.
Added value
The EPDs give Metehe’s customers reliable data on the environmental impact of its products. They also help Metehe meet tightening requirements in the construction industry. The life cycle assessment behind the EPDs also shows Metehe where in the production chain most emissions are generated, helping the company optimize and improve its own operations.
Environmental data requirements have grown in construction. It was important for Metehe to meet its customers’ needs and provide compliant environmental information on its products. To make this possible, Etteplan prepared standard-compliant EPDs for Metehe’s hot-dip galvanized and organically coated steel products.
Life Cycle Assessment formed the foundation
The work began with data collection on the products and the production at the factories. The data covered energy consumption, waste generated and the use of work machinery, among other things. Based on this data, Etteplan carried out a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The LCA served as the basis for the EPDs, which cover the environmental impacts of manufacturing, as well as the construction and end-of-life stages. They also cover environmental impacts beyond the life cycle.
The EPDs were verified by a third party and published in the Rakennustieto EPD program.
Etteplan was a natural partner for Metehe’s EPD work. Etteplan had also calculated Metehe’s company-level carbon footprint earlier.
“Working with Etteplan on the EPD documents went smoothly and was easy. We got reliable expertise and calculation know-how on a topic where we needed guidance and support,” says Jaana Haila, CFO at Metehe.
“Communication with Etteplan also worked well when we finalized the look of the documents,” adds Hanna Vanhoja, Marketing Assistant at Metehe.
EPDs bring a competitive advantage
Verified EPDs make it easier to comply with tightening legislation. They also open doors to new projects where environmental impact is a key selection criterion or where an assessment is required.
“Independently verified EPDs now also give our stakeholders reliable environmental data on our operations. The LCA also shows us where in the production chain we create the most emissions or use the most resources. This helps us optimize and improve our own operations,” says Vanhoja.
An expert partner for EPD and LCA work
Metehe valued the earlier cooperation and Etteplan’s expertise when choosing a partner. The independent verification also strengthened Metehe’s trust in Etteplan’s skills.
“Etteplan has long and broad expertise across industries, including ours. That makes Etteplan a reliable partner. The independent verification of the EPD documents confirmed that Etteplan has strong skills in LCA services,” says Vanhoja.
“Etteplan has long and broad expertise across industries, including ours. That makes Etteplan a reliable partner. The independent verification of the EPD documents confirmed that Etteplan has strong skills in LCA services."
Hanna Vanhoja
Marketing Assistant, Metehe Oy
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