BASF and Atlas EPS demonstrate leadership in product environmental and human health disclosure for insulation materials featuring Neopor Plus Graphite Polystyrene

Provides Architects and Specifiers third-party verified Product Environmental Impact and Manufacturer Inventory Reporting data maximizing the contribution to LEED v4 credits

BYRON CENTER, MI and WYANDOTTE, MI, November 15, 2018 – BASF and Atlas EPS are announcing a product-specific Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Atlas’s ThermalStar^® GX insulation board featuring BASF Neopor^® Plus Graphite Polystyrene (GPS). The EPD provides construction specialists with a comprehensive environmental report which qualifies as one whole product for LEED^® v4 credit achievement, doubling the value that a standard industry-wide EPD would achieve.

“We’re proud of our long-standing commitment to transparency and supporting sustainability in the building and construction industry,” said Luis Espada, BASF, Head of Sales Management for Neopor. “Our commitment to drive more sustainable solutions into the marketplace and to support our customer’s success guides our innovation and strategic assessment programs.” 

“Atlas insulation products have always positively contributed to our customers’ goals of delivering energy-efficient buildings,” said Bob Butkus, General Manager, Atlas EPS. “Now, we can quantifiably show the positive impact our products make and enable our customers to make more informed product selections that help them earn points toward LEED certification for their buildings.”

Neopor Plus GPS resin is produced by BASF in Germany and further processed by Atlas EPS into insulation boards in North America. The gray, plastic, granular material is a construction grade, graphite enhanced polystyrene (GPS) insulation that contains specially embedded graphite particles that reflect heat radiation like a mirror and reduce heat loss in a house. Neopor insulation materials meet the standards for passive house construction and, in warm climates, can save at least 30 percent of cooling energy in residential buildings. Due to its contributions to enhanced energy efficiency in construction applications, Neopor based insulation materials enable sound carbon management building strategies while also contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals including Sustainable Cities and Communities (11), Responsible Consumption and Production (12) and Climate Action (13).

In addition to publishing its own EPD for Neopor Plus Graphite Polystyrene Insulation, BASF is also releasing a third-party verified Manufacturer Inventory report for Neopor Plus GPS. The Manufacturer Inventory Report adheres to the requirements of the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labeling of Chemicals and is equivalent in LEED v4 to Health Product Declarations, Cradle to Cradle, Manufacturer Inventory Reports using GreenScreen benchmark evaluation and Declare. By providing this report for Neopor Plus GPS, BASF supports our customers in enabling architects and specifiers to maximize LEED v4 credit opportunities.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.

In Life Cycle Assessment, an EPD is an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent information about the environmental impact of a product or system over its lifetime. In the construction process, EPDs help uncover the environmental impacts and benefits of the non-visible products and processes that can influence the environment the most.

LEED is a registered trademark of the United States Green Building Council.

ThermalStar GX insulation board is a registered trademark of Atlas EPS.

Neopor Plus Graphite Polystyrene is a registered trademark of BASF SE.

For a press photo, please click on the following link:
https://www.basf.com/press-photos/us/en/photos/2018/11/11-15-18_AtlasandBASFdemonstrateleadershipinLEEDv4.jpg
Suggested photo caption: Neopor Plus GPS (Graphite Polystyrene) resin

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 18,200 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.9 billion in 2017. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com.

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into four segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of more than €60 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

About Neopor^® Plus Graphite Polystyrene

The grey plastic granular material Neopor® is a construction grade, graphite enhanced polystyrene (GPS) insulation. It contains specially embedded graphite particles that reflect heat radiation like a mirror and reduce heat loss in a building. The granular material is foamed by BASF’s partners and converted to insulation boards for facades, roofs and floors. Further information: www.Neopor-Insulation.com

About Atlas EPS

Atlas EPS specializes in the development and manufacture of innovative, high-quality, HFC- and HCFC-free Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) insulation for construction, packaging and OEM products. With plants across the U.S., Atlas EPS — headquartered in Byron Center, Michigan, at the largest EPS manufacturing plant in the industry — can provide product solutions coast-to-coast. Since the mid-1960s, Atlas EPS has played a significant part in the growth of technology and product applications in the EPS industry. Further information at www.atlaseps.com