Technical Blog

Welcome to John’s Blog. Answers to frequently asked questions are periodically posted here. The objective is to share information about PVC pipe with readers as well as with utilities, design engineers and pipe installers. The blog provides the latest information on PVC pipe design, installation, and application for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

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John Houle: Senior Technical Consultant, PVC Pipe Industry

John Houle holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri and an MBA from the University of Oregon. He has more than 25 years of experience in the plastic pipe industry in applications engineering, market development, forensic analysis, technical writing, and standards development.

Assessing Environmental Product Declarations for Underground Piping

Posted By John Houle on Apr 14, 2020

Assessing the Transparency and Reliability of Environmental Product Declarations for Underground PipingThere are lots of folks making claims about how “green” they are. For the non-expert, assessing the huge volume of environmental information can be intimidating. There are so many methods to consider and so much variation in results that any comparisons quickly become meaningless. As well, not all certifications require the same level of accuracy and transparency. 

However, there is a simple solution. The most logical way to approach sustainability issues is to use a method that is internationally recognized and third-party certified, like an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). A recently published technical paper titled, “Assessing the Transparency and Reliability of Environmental Product Declarations for Underground Piping,” provides a thorough description of the process and why adherence to such a rigorous system should be required for all environmental claims. 

To access the paper, click here.