What are EPDs?
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are defined by ISO Standard 14025 as being “quantified environmental data for a product with pre-set categories of parameters based on the ISO 14040 series of standards, but not excluding additional environmental information.” To meet ISO requirements, an EPD must meet three criteria:
1. Use Product Category Rules for the relevant product type
2. Be based on a Product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
3. Provide an EPD Report certified and signed by an outside expert
In short, an EPD is a single source for finding scientifically robust and transparent product performance information about a product’s environmental performance, verified by a qualified third party.
In more detail, the backbone of an ISO-compliant EPD is:
A product Life Cycle Assessment that has been produced in conformance with ISO 14040 and in conformance with the appropriate product criteria rules.
A set of Product Criteria Rules (PCRs) for a given product category (e.g. carpet, seating) that determine the scope, boundaries, functional unit, assessment criteria, product and environmental performance information, etc., that all manufactures must use for their product LCA, thereby ensuring consistency with regards to data, calculations and methodology.
Why EPDs
In today's marketplace (whether national or global in scope), it is no longer sufficient for the manufacturer to make claims that are not certified to a transparent standard with the results verified by a qualified third party expert.
The Product Criteria Rules (PCRs), Product Life Cycle Assessment (LCAs) and verifications by an outside expert required with an EPD provide the trust and transparency being sought by procurement professionals. In sum, an EPD combines the holistic approach of Life Cycle Assessment with the level playing field provided by PCRs, resulting in a reliable resource for both manufacturers and purchasers
Increasingly, specifiers and purchasers are expecting the credibility and transparency provided most effectively by an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). ISO Standard 14025 requires that an EPD be registered in a system that is operated in an open and professional manner using program rules that are available upon request.
Key Characteristics of EPDs
Objective—as they rely on scientifically accepted and valid methods used for life cycle assessment (LCA), set by the world’s environmental experts
Neutral—as they provide all relevant product performance information rather than relying on predetermined environmental performance levels
Flexible—since the contents of an EPD can be amended as is deemed necessary by the company or EPD system following external review and verification
Comparable—since the product data used is collected, analyzed and reported based on ISO-compliant Product Category Rules and LCA Methodology.
Trustworthy-as they require review, and verification by an independent expert followed by registration and public posting in an ISO-compliant EPD system.
Using EPDs
By bringing together EPDs of the core products used in a a building or a building space, an architect or interior designer can understand the likely environmental performance of a building. Having access to EPDs of the major products used in a structure makes it possible to develop a Building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA.).
The use of EPDs greatly reduces confusion about technical information on products by providing a standardized format for communication of all impacts of a product or service - economic, environmental, human health, mechanical, safety and other attributes of the product type.
Rather than having to identify ten or more different documents to understand different aspects of a product's performance, it is possible to find them integrated into a single source.
All of the third party verified product performance information in an EPD has been summarized in a new tool created by The Green Standard called the Gaia Product Profile. It is a visualized summary of the contents of the certified Environmental Product Declaration.
Product EPDs are useful in providing details required in specification documents as well as product information required in applications for certification in the various green building systems around the world.
EPDs provide the level of transparency required increasingly by government agencies around the globe and by private sector companies wanting to measure, verify and report the impacts of the products and services they purchase using next generation tools.
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