Plastic piping adds 22 new EPDs to the spec playbook

What PPFA released and why it matters

PPFA’s set spans PEX, CPVC, PE‑RT, ABS and PVC across water service, hot and cold distribution, DWV, conduit, and fire sprinkler lines. They are industry‑average EPDs, verified and listed with ICC‑ES, a recognized program operator, so specifiers can actually find and use them in procurement.

This is a signal. Plumbing’s disclosure gap is narrowing, which means teams without an EPD now feel older than VHS in a streaming world.

Where to find them and how to read them fast

PPFA' press release points buyers to ICC‑ES as the program operator and public directory, which keeps verification transparent and consistent for U.S. projects. Use the declared unit and scope first, then scan A1 to A3 results, and finally check any installation or end‑of‑life scenarios to avoid apples‑to‑oranges comparisons.

Most EPDs stay valid for five years, so note the validity date and calendar the renewal window early (EPD International FAQ, 2024). If a reported indicator worsens by more than 10 percent during that period, an update is required under common operator rules (EPD International FAQ, 2024).

Industry‑average vs product‑specific

Average EPDs are a useful door‑opener. They prove a category’s footprint with credible rules and third‑party verification, which helps unblock specs. Product‑specific EPDs go further because they reflect your actual resin mix, plant energy, scrap, and logistics. When buyers compare options, a product‑specific, verified disclosure tends to hold the room longer.

If a competitor’s EPD cites the same PCR and standard, comparability gets cleaner. If not, the story gets muddy fast. The smartest move is to map which PCR your target spec set prefers, then align.

Data collection is the real bottleneck

Teams rarely stall on modeling technique. They stall on gathering metered energy, resin receipts, regrind rates, and yields across shifts and lines. A white‑glove approach that wrangles this data for you, across plants and ERP exports, is what compresses timelines with quality intact. We see faster approvals when foreground data is captured once, structured well, then reused across variants.

What this means for sales and bids

Many public owners and large private developers now ask for product‑specific, verified EPDs at bid. Without one, estimators must apply conservative assumptions, which quietly pushes your product down the short list. The cost of getting an EPD is often paid back by a single mid‑sized project win, and teams forget that unrealized deals never show up in CRM.

Your next three moves if you make pipe or fittings

1. Benchmark against the new PPFA set. Confirm your sizes and use cases are covered, then decide where a product‑specific EPD would create clear differentiation. The release totals 22 EPDs, which is a useful lens for scope planning (PPFA press release, 2025).
2. Lock your PCR and operator. Pick the rulebook your buyers already see in competitor EPDs, then publish with a recognized operator like ICC‑ES so verification and posting are straightforward for procurement.
3. Treat data like a product launch. Pick a recent 12‑month reference year where you can verify utilities, scrap, and transport. Capture plant‑level nuances early, not in a last‑week scramble. It sounds basic but it is definately where timelines slip.

The takeaway

PPFA’s new disclosures raise the floor for plumbing transparency and make it easier for specifiers to document embodied impacts. Manufacturers that follow with product‑specific EPDs, tight data, and crisp PCR alignment will win more stable spots in specs and simplify buyer due diligence over the next five years (EPD International FAQ, 2024).