Creating an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a valuable way for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability by providing transparent information about their products’ environmental impacts. The process may seem complex at first, but it can be broken down into several key steps. Here’s
How to create an EPD?
1. Define the Product
Start by clearly defining the product or product range for which you want to develop an EPD. The product should belong to a specific category that is recognized in the market. It is crucial to ensure that it aligns with a corresponding Product Category Rule (PCR), which sets the guidelines for how to evaluate and report the environmental performance of that type of product.
2. Conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
The next step is to perform a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This is the backbone of any EPD, as it quantifies the environmental impact of the product from cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-gate, depending on the scope. The LCA must cover all stages of the product’s life cycle, including raw material extraction, production, distribution, use, and end-of-life. Common impact categories include Global Warming Potential (GWP), water usage, energy consumption, and emissions.
3. Follow the Product Category Rules (PCR)
The LCA needs to follow the specific PCR for your product type. PCRs provide consistency and comparability between similar products, ensuring that the same metrics and methodologies are applied industry-wide. These rules outline which data to include and how to interpret it.
4. Draft the EPD Document
Once the LCA is completed, the results should be summarized into a clear, concise document. This document will include detailed information about the product, its life cycle stages, and its environmental impacts, presented in a standardized format.
5. Third-Party Verification
Most EPDs require independent verification to ensure accuracy and compliance with PCRs and standards such as ISO 14025. A third-party verifier reviews the EPD and the underlying LCA data to certify its credibility.
6. Publication
After verification, the EPD can be published through a recognized program operator or EPD registry. The EPD is then made available to the public, enabling stakeholders to access and compare the environmental performance of your product.
By following these steps, companies can create credible, transparent, and comparable EPDs that support sustainability and meet market demands.