Fresh off Superior Essex’s announcement that several of its cable products offer Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), the company more recently announced that several of its cables also offer Health Product Declarations (HPDs), “which can be used to obtain a point in the LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certification process for building projects,’ the company said. “The newly published HPDs, when combined with the previously announced EPDs, make it possible for Superior Essex cable products to contribute towards two LEED points for a single project,” it added.
The company explained that an HPD “is a report of product contents and the impact of ingredients on human and ecological health. The HPDs were issued in accordance with the Health Product Declaration Collaborative open standard, which provides a common framework for disclosing information about the ingredients and associated health risks in products that are permanently installed.”
A total of 8 HPDs have been published, covering 25 Superior Essex premises copper data cable products, the company added, including multiple designs of plenum-rated and riser-rated Category 5e, 6 and 6A cables. “These products are now eligible to contribute to a Materials and Resources credit under the LEED Version 4,” Superior Essex stated. “These same products may contribute towards a second Materials and Resources credit applicable for products with published EPDs.”
Ted Radzinski, president of sustainability-consulting organization Sustainable Solutions Corporation commented, “As architects, designers, and project teams continue to focus on occupant health and safety, HPDs are becoming a necessary tool in manufacturers’ transparency strategies. By releasing these industry-first HPDs, Superior Essex demonstrates its commitment to offering sustainable products and cements its role as a market leader.”
Superior Essex’s vice president for applications engineering and quality, Eric Perry, added, “Superior Essex is committed to being the industry leader in environmental sustainability and with that role comes the responsibility to provide full disclosure of any health risks from our products. Additionally, we are pleased that these HPDs can be used by architects and designers in making fully informed decisions regarding the communications products they select for their projects.”