The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) recently introduced American Hardwood Environmental Profiles (AHEPs). This unique LCA data and modeling system will be used to develop a customized environmental profile “tool” that will combine: legality information (EUTR “due diligence” requirements), sustainability data from the US Forest Service and LCA impacts from AHEC/PE International research.

As each environmental profile will be specific to an individual U.S. sawn hardwood species, the AHEPs will provide manufacturers of downstream products that will have Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)—such as furniture, flooring, doors, and windows— with fully ISO-compliant data on the U.S. hardwood, which they can then incorporate into their own product-specific EPDs.

In a statement announcing the project, AHEC Executive Director Mike Snow said, ‘Through this project, U.S. hardwood suppliers will be the first wood suppliers, possibly the first suppliers of any mainstream commercial material, to provide comprehensive environmental impact data with each delivery.”