Our line of SOPRA-XPS extruded polystyrene panels is evolving by becoming more environmentally friendly. Now you can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from materials employed in the construction of your buildings with SOPRA-XPS, which uses a blowing agent with a global warming potential (GWP) of less than 1.
Thanks to our environmental product declaration (EPD)1 , it is now easier to discover the environmental impact of SOPRA-XPS. This product also has the lowest carbon impact in its class on the market. Read our EPD that proves it!
This EPD shows the results of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of SOPRA-XPS insulation, including the stages of raw material supply, manufacturing, transportation, installation, use, and end of life (cradle to grave).
Global warming is well-known worldwide and its effects (floods, forest fires, heat waves, storms, etc.) are getting more intense and frequent. International climate conferences have initiated many discussions and negotiations between countries on targets and objectives for reducing greenhouse gases. It is therefore now a global issue.
Global warming is largely due to the greenhouse effect, a phenomenon caused by the accumulation of gases in the atmosphere that form a barrier and trap solar radiation as well as heat. Greenhouse gases include CO2 and methane, to name just two.
Each gas has its own impact on global warming (known as global warming potential or GWP), which is expressed in relation to the impact of CO2. Methane has a GWP of 25, which means that for the same quantity of gas, the impact on global warming of methane is 25 times as high as that of CO2.
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) aims to provide information regarding the impact a product may have on various environmental factors throughout its life cycle.
The main purpose of transparent declarations is to facilitate informed decision-making in sustainable construction. Based on the information disclosed by the manufacturer, both contractors and specifiers can better guide their choices towards products that are less harmful to the environment and to people’s health.
Ph.D, Chemist, Director – Standards & Scientific Affairs
Strategic Buyer
Plant Manager
Strategic Development Manager – Roofing and XPS
January 1, 2021 marked the entry into force of new regulations from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) which govern the use of halocarbons as blowing agents in plastic foams and set the maximum limit of their global warming potential (GWP) to 150.
Unfortunately, not all manufacturers comply with this new regulation. Some have also obtained exemptions from the Canadian government to circumvent it, and thus sell insulation with HFC emissions up to five times higher than the limit allowed. A reduced GWP does not necessarily mean that it is under 150. Accept no compromise for our planet: demand high standards now! Construction professionals who want to make a difference will understand the difference.
Base your actions on facts and ask manufacturers to provide the technical and environmental data related to their products. To help you make informed decisions, read the list of manufacturers that obtained a permit:
Companies with essential purpose permits for foams and foam products.
SOPRA-XPS is the first choice because of its carbon footprint that is 28 to 32 times lower than that of competing products. If we can do it, so can others! 5
*Based on a Honda Civic Sedan 2021 (165 g CO2/km) based on a scenario of 20,000 km/year.
The GWP helps to compare the global warming impact of different gases, such as those used as blowing agents in insulating foam. The GWP of a gas is a measure of the impact one tonne of its emissions will have on climate change over a 100-year period compared to the emissions from one tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2). In other words, the higher the GWP, the greater the gas contributes to global warming.
Simply put, GWP provides a scale to quantify how harmful emissions of a given gas are to the planet. CO2 from burning fossil fuels is the benchmark on the scale, with a GWP of 1.
(2,500 board-feet)
421 kg CO2 eq.
11.8 metric tons CO2 eq.
13.8 metric tons CO2 eq.
(120,000 board-feet)
20 metric tons CO2 eq.
568 metric tons CO2 eq.
665 metric tons CO2 eq.
(2,500 board-feet)
421 kg CO2 eq.
11.8 metric tons CO2 eq.
13.8 metric tons CO2 eq.
(40,000 board-feet)
6.7 metric tons CO2 eq.
189 metric tons CO2 eq.
221 metric tons CO2 eq.
(120,000 board-feet)
20 metric tons CO2 eq.
568 metric tons CO2 eq.
665 metric tons CO2 eq.
Note that to obtain a result in metric tons, calculations are based on kilograms of CO2 equivalent divided by a thousand.
* The small building represented is a single-family house measuring 7.3 × 8.5 m (24 × 28 ft) with a foundation wall height of 2.4 m (8 ft) for a total of 77.3 m2 (832 ft2). There are 52 three-inch-thick XPS insulation panels (0.6 × 2.4 m [2 ft x 8 ft]) on the foundation walls, for a total of 5.9 m3 (208 ft3) of XPS insulation.
** The medium building represented includes 750 two-inch-thick XPS insulation panels (0.6 × 2.4 m [2 ft x 8 ft]) on the exterior walls and 500 2-inch-thick (0.6 × 2.4 m [2 ft x 8 ft]) XPS insulation panels under the concrete slab, for a total of 94.4 m3 (3,351 ft3) of XPS insulation.
*** The large building represented includes 670 3.5-inch-thick XPS insulation panels (0.6 × 2.4 m [2 ft x 8 ft]) on the exterior walls and 2,575 2-inch-thick XPS insulation panels (0.6 × 2.4 m [2 ft x 8 ft]) under the concrete slab, for a total of 283 m3 (9,994 ft3) of XPS insulation.
The construction industry is exerting more and more pressure on the environment due to the consumption of raw materials and the waste of residual materials. Concerned about this issue, SOPREMA has set up a new formula for its SOPRA-XPS line which replaces the HFC-134a blowing agent, having a GWP of 1,300, with a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) blowing agent having a GWP of less than 1.
The new generation of SOPRA-XPS clearly demonstrates SOPREMA’s commitment to the fight against climate change, in particular by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the carbon footprint of its products used in buildings.
SOPRA-XPS is the product line with the highest recycled content on the market, i.e. 70%6. This is a form of reduction at source by promoting recycling.
SOPREMA has made major changes to the composition of its line of SOPRA-XPS extruded polystyrene insulation. This new formula contains a blowing agent with a global warming potential of less than 1!
Thanks to environmental and health attributes as well as numerous transparent declarations such as the EPD, the HPD and the recycled content certificate, SOPRA-XPS can contribute to compliance with the requirements of several sustainable building certifications. It also stands out with regards to LEED, WELL, ZCB and Passive House certifications. Consult our indexes to learn more:
SOPRA-XPS will help you achieve your sustainability goals while delivering the performance you need!
It should be noted that the life cycle impact assessment does not predict actual impacts, exceeding thresholds, safety margins, or risks associated with the targeted product. The results nevertheless provide a relevant theoretical overview to better understand the environmental impact of a product. In this case, six categories of life cycle impact assessment are addressed in the EPD, which is recognized as a Type III environmental declaration produced in accordance with EN 15804, ISO 14025, and ISO 21930 standards. With the advancement of scientific research, impact assessment methods are being refined and other impact categories are being developed. At this time, it is not recommended to use other impact categories for comparison purposes.
| Blue Styrofoam™ by DuPont™ 7 | Grey Reduced GWP Styrofoam™ by DuPont™ 3 | FOAMULAR® by Owens Corning 4 | Styrofoam™ ST-100 by DuPont™ 8 | FOAMULAR® NGX™ by Owens Corning 9 | SOPRA-XPS by SOPREMA 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global warming potential [kg CO2 eq.] | 100 | 59.5 | 57.9 | 6.24 | 9.77 | 2.06 |
| Ozone depletion potential [kg CFC-11 eq.] | 2.03 × 10 -9 | 1.86 × 10 -9 | 3.36 × 10 -5 | 4.09 × 10 -9 | 2.08 × 10 -5 | 1.96 × 10 -7 |
| Acidification potential [kg SO2 eq.] | 0.0065 | 0.0057 | 0.0149 | 0.0056 | 0.0168 | 0.0086 |
| Eutrophication potential [kg N eq.] | 0.0006 | 0.0005 | 0.0075 | 0.0005 | 0.0080 | 0.0030 |
| Smog formation potential [kg O3 eq.] | 0.129 | 0.115 | 0.206 | 0.114 | 0.217 | 0.129 |
| Resource depletion (fossil fuels) [MJ] | 9.319 | 8.526 | 9.809 | 8.557 | 9.946 | 5.580 |
Functional unit: 1 m2 (10.7 ft2) at a thickness providing a thermal resistance of RSI 1 and using a building service life of 75 years.
Global warming is well-known worldwide and its effects (floods, forest fires, heat waves, storms, etc.) are getting more intense and frequent. Global warming is largely due to the greenhouse effect, a phenomenon caused by the accumulation of gases in the atmosphere that form a barrier and trap solar radiation as well as heat. Greenhouse gases include CO2 and methane, to name just two. Each gas has its own impact on global warming (known as global warming potential or GWP), which is expressed in relation to the impact of CO2. Methane has a GWP of 25, which means that for the same quantity of gas, the impact on global warming of methane is 25 times as high as that of CO2. International climate conferences have initiated many discussions and negotiations between countries on targets and objectives for reducing greenhouse gases.
This indicator measures the impact of an increase in the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in soil or water environments caused by emissions of acidifying substances (for example, sulfuric acid).
This indicator measures the consequences of an enrichment of water by nutrients (nitrates and phosphates), thus increasing the growth of algae that deteriorate the aquatic ecosystem.
This indicator measures the formation of smog (ground-level ozone [O3]), which is a pollutant that impacts the respiratory system. Smog is produced by the exposure of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to solar radiation.
This indicator measures the impact of the depletion of the ozone layer that protects living organisms from solar radiation. Ozone depletion is mainly caused by chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and halon emissions.
This indicator measures the depletion of abiotic (fossil) energy resources and represents the excess energy required to extract these resources in the future.
