Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) 

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) presents a product or service’s environmental impacts over its life cycle in a transparent, standardised, and reliable format. 

What Is an EPD? 

An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) describes the environmental impacts of a product or service across its life cycle, organised into modules. The results are based on verified life cycle assessment and inventory data (LCA and LCI data). 

EPDs are primarily used in business-to-business (B2B) communication. Each EPD is a standardised document published in a selected EPD program. 

What Is Required to Create an EPD? 

An EPD is always based on a product or service’s life cycle assessment (LCA). It summarises the key outcomes of the LCA, including environmental impacts and sustainability-related background information. 

Which Standards Apply to EPDs? 

ISO 14025, which defines procedures for creating Type III environmental declarations, guides the development of EPDS. The underlying life cycle assessment follows ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. 

For construction products, the development of EPDs is also guided by the EN 15804 standard in addition to ISO 14025. Publicly published EPDs must comply with the relevant program operator’s rules for calculation and reporting. 

How Are EPDs Published? 

Several EPD program operators are available in Europe. Examples include the Finnish RTS EPD system, the Norwegian EPD Norge, the Swedish International EPD System, and the German Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. 

Many systems focus on construction-related EPDs, but some also allow the publication of EPDs for other product categories. In these cases, the system must have defined Product Category Rules (PCR) specific to that product group. 

These rules provide detailed requirements for conducting the LCA and define the EPD’s structure and content, reflecting the product category’s specific characteristics. 

How Is an EPD Verified? 

Both the EPD and the underlying LCA must be verified before publication. Verification ensures that the declaration meets the applicable standards and Product Category Rules and confirms the accuracy of the information. It is carried out by an external expert approved by the selected EPD program. 

Ecobio’s EPD Services 

Ecobio has extensive experience preparing EPDs for various products and services. We have delivered EPDs under several program operators, each with their requirements and specifications. 

We help you choose the appropriate EPD program, carry out the required life cycle assessment (LCA), prepare the EPD documentation, and manage the verification process with an external expert.