Environmental Product Declaration

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An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) a Type III environmental declaration that quantifies environmental information about the life cycle of a product to enable comparisons between products fulfilling the same function.[1] The methodology to produce an EPD is based on product life cycle assessment (LCA),[2] following the ISO 14040 series of standards.[3][4][5]

Companies produce EPDs in order to understand the environmental impact of their products or services, demonstrate a commitment to limiting environmental impacts and differentiate products on the market.[6] EPDs are a transparency tool and do not provide any certification as to whether a product can be considered environmentally friendly or not. As such, they are primarily intended to facilitate business-to-business transactions, although may also benefit environmentally motivated retail consumers when choosing goods or services.[3][4][5][6]

Content

Specific content will vary according to the product category and methodology used, but most EPDs summarize environmental information on the product alongside information about the company and production methods. The text and illustrations are designed to be easily understood and the critical environmental impact information desired by most EPD users can quickly located. Some manufacturers choose to include marketing information about innovative processes.

For example, a 38 page EPD for a pasta product contains sections on the brand and product, environmental performance calculations, information on sustainable wheat cultivation, milling, packaging production, pasta production, distribution, cooking, packaging end-of-life, and summary tables for environmental results in different markets.[7]

Access

EPDs are available directly from manufacturers or hosted on an EPD database, which are typically owned by the Programme Operator through which the EPD was produced, verified and published. The usefulness of data stored within an EPD is proportional to how easily it can be accessed and analysed, however, database owners have been slow to modernise platforms and most require users to download individual PDFs in order to view and compare the data.[8]

Progress has been made to improve the design of EPDs for machine-readability and indexing purposes through the ILCD+EPD[9] and openEPD[10] formats. openEPD has been designed in a way that EPD data can be accessed and leveraged via an API, promoting the integration of product-specific data into industrial design and stock inventory software.[11]

Framework for creating an EPD

Framework for creating an EPD

The first step in creating an EPD is defining the product, using the appropriate Product Category Rules (PCR). A Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) for the LCA must be verified and from reliable sources (for example, from a manufacturing facility). A Life Cycle Environmental Impact Analysis (LCIA) is performed by an LCA expert using software and a variety of assessment tools.[12] The EPD is delivered as a document or report following a series of verification reviews; it is then ready for registration and publication.[13][3][4][5][6][14]

Product category rules

PCRs are specific rules and requirements that set out how the LCA of a product should be carried out and the results disclosed. They provide guidance that, in theory, enables fair comparison among products of the same category.[15]

Criteria contained in a PCR includes: a description of the product category, the goal of the LCA, functional units, system boundaries, cut-off criteria, allocation rules, environmental impact categories, information on the product's use phase, required units, LCA calculation procedures, requirements for data quality assessment, and other relevant information.[16] The goal of PCRs is to help develop EPDs for products that are comparable to others within a product category. ISO 14025 establishes the procedure for developing PCRs and the required content of a PCR, as well as requirements for comparability.[17]

Challenges

LCA studies can vary in terms of assumptions and methodological choices made during the LCA and consequently, the results for products that fulfil the same function may not be consistent with one another.[18][19][20]

  • Duplication of PCRs for similar product categories in different regions occurs and is a known problem within the system.[21] PCRs developed in under the European Committee for Standardization framework may differ from PCRs developed under ISO framework,[20] reducing the comparability of EPDs for like-products from different regions. This may also increase administrative burden for manufacturers operating in multiple regions, which may be required to produce EPDs using different PCRs to align with heterogenous reporting requirements.[20]
  • Interpretation of the guidance contained within PCRs can lead to variances in methodological choices and data reporting within an LCA, even where the same PCR is used. If the choices made are justifiable, this may not be flagged during the verification process.[20]
  • Inconsistent secondary databases: Data collection for a product LCA is time consuming and complex, especially for processes out of control of the manufacturer producing the EPD (i.e., emissions from the upstream supply chain). PCRs permit the use of secondary data for such emission flows and data is sourced from commercial databases. These databases can offer significantly different emission factors for the same process, activity or input (e.g., the embodied emissions of 1 metric tonne of coking coal), reducing the comparability of data in EPDs.[20]
  • Lack of rigorous third-party review: Inconsistency in the interpretation of the PCRs means that various accounting practices can be reasonably justified within in EPDs for similar products,[22] leading to different outcomes that are not comparable.
  • Financial Constraints: Carrying out a detailed LCA and publishing an EPD can be cost-intensive.[23][24]

Construction sector

EPDs are most commonly found for construction products. In Europe, the European Committee for Standardization has published EN 15804:2012+A2:2019[25], a common PCR for construction materials. Other complementary standards, for example for environmental building assessment (EN 15978) were also published by this Technical Committee.

In order to enhance harmonization, the main Programme Operators for EPD verification in the construction sector created ECO Platform, comprised of members from different European countries. The Programme Operators approved to issue EPDs with the ECO Platform verified logo[26] are:

  • Asociación Española de Normalización y Certificación (AENOR) - GlobalEPD Program (Spain)
  • Bau EPD GmbH (Austria)
  • EPD International AB - International EPD System (Sweden)
  • Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. (IBU) (Germany)
  • Association HQE tio - FDES INIES (France)
  • ICMQ S.p.a. - EPDItaly (Italy)
  • DAPHabitat - DAPHabitat System (Portugal)

The ECO Platform also includes the following trade associations:

  • Construction Products Europe
  • Ceramie Unie ASBL
  • Eurima AiSBL

Some of these Programme Operators are under bilateral mutual recognition agreements:[27] IBU (Germany), EPD International (Sweden) and AENOR GlobalEPD (Spain).

The following programme operators are based in North America and Asia,[5][3][28] and their PCRs are typically based on ISO 21930[29]

North America

  • SmartEPD (U.S. and Global)[30]
  • FP Innovations - EPD Program on Wood Products (Canada)[31]
  • NSF International (U.S.)[32]
  • The Sustainability Consortium (U.S.)[33]
  • UL Environment (U.S.)[34]
  • ASTM International (U.S.)[35]
  • ICC Evaluation Services (U.S.)[36]
  • National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (U.S.)[37]
  • SCS Global Services (U.S.)[38]

Asia

  • Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (Japan)[39]
  • Korean Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (Korea)[40]
  • Environment and Development Foundation (Taiwan)[41]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Environmental labels and declarations - Type III environmental declarations - Principles and procedures". Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  2. ^ Matthews, H. Scott; Hendrickson, Chris T.; Deanna H., Matthews (2015). "4". Life Cycle Assessment: quantitative approaches for Decisions that Matter. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike. pp. 88–95.
  3. ^ a b c d Del Borghi, Adriana (2012-10-10). "LCA and communication: Environmental Product Declaration". The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 18 (2): 293–295. doi:10.1007/s11367-012-0513-9. ISSN 0948-3349.
  4. ^ a b c Manzini, Raffaella; Noci, Giuliano; Ostinelli, Massimiliano; Pizzurno, Emanuele (2006). "Assessing environmental product declaration opportunities: a reference framework". Business Strategy and the Environment. 15 (2): 118–134. doi:10.1002/bse.453. ISSN 0964-4733.
  5. ^ a b c d Minkov, Nikolay; Schneider, Laura; Lehmann, Annekatrin; Finkbeiner, Matthias (May 2015). "Type III Environmental Declaration Programmes and harmonisation of product category rules: status quo and practical challenges". Journal of Cleaner Production. 94: 235–246. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.02.012. ISSN 0959-6526.
  6. ^ a b c Allander, A (July 2001). "Successful Certification of an Environmental Product Declaration for an ABB Product". Corporate Environmental Strategy. 8 (2): 133–141. doi:10.1016/s1066-7938(01)00094-x. ISSN 1066-7938.
  7. ^ Barilla. 26 Sep 2013. Durum wheat semolina pasta in paperboard box: Environmental Product Declaration. Revision 8 of 7 November 2019.
  8. ^ "International EPD System".
  9. ^ "About EPD - Eco Platform en". www.eco-platform.org. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  10. ^ "openEPD: Home - An Open Format for the world's Digital EPDs". openEPD. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  11. ^ "openEPD: Home - An Open Format for the world's Digital EPDs". openEPD. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  12. ^ WBSCD (29 September 2014). "Life Cycle Metrics for Chemical Products". Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  13. ^ Stahel, Walter R. (24 March 2016). "Circular Economy". Nature. 531 (2016): 435–8. Bibcode:2016Natur.531..435S. doi:10.1038/531435a. PMID 27008952. ProQuest 1776790666.
  14. ^ "How to get an EPD". Building Transparency. 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  15. ^ Ingwersen, Wesley W.; Stevenson, Martha J. (2012). "Can we compare the environmental performance of this product to that one? An update on the development of product category rules and future challenges toward alignment". Journal of Cleaner Production. 24: 102–108. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.10.040. ISSN 0959-6526.
  16. ^ Almeida, Marisa Isabel; Dias, Ana Cláudia; Demertzi, Martha; Arroja, Luís (2015). "Contribution to the Development of Product Category Rules for Ceramic Bricks". Journal of Cleaner Production. 92: 206–215. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.12.073. hdl:10773/16706 – via Elsevier ScienceDirect.
  17. ^ Environmental labels and declarations. Type III environmental declarations. Principles and procedures, International Organization for Standardization, retrieved 2019-04-26
  18. ^ Teehan, Paul; Kandlikar, Milind (2012-03-20). "Sources of Variation in Life Cycle Assessments of Desktop Computers". Journal of Industrial Ecology. 16: S182–S194. doi:10.1111/j.1530-9290.2011.00431.x. ISSN 1088-1980.
  19. ^ Säynäjoki, Antti; Heinonen, Jukka; Junnila, Seppo; Horvath, Arpad (2017-01-05). "Can life-cycle assessment produce reliable policy guidelines in the building sector?". Environmental Research Letters. 12 (1): 013001. Bibcode:2017ERL....12a3001S. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/aa54ee. ISSN 1748-9326.
  20. ^ a b c d e Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (5 December 2023). "Driving consistency in the greenhouse gas accounting system: A pathway to harmonized standards for steel, cement, and concrete". Industrial Decarbonization Accelerator. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  21. ^ Subramanian, Vairavan; Ingwersen, Wesley; Hensler, Connie; Collie, Heather (2012-04-20). "Comparing product category rules from different programs: learned outcomes towards global alignment". The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 17 (7): 892–903. doi:10.1007/s11367-012-0419-6. ISSN 0948-3349.
  22. ^ Sébastien Lasvaux, Yann Leroy, Capucine Briquet, Jacques Chevalier. International Survey on Critical Review and Verification Practices in LCA with a Focus in the Construction Sector. 6th International Conference on Life Cycle Management - LCM 2013, Aug 2013, Gothenburg, Sweden. hal-01790869
  23. ^ Fet, A. M., & Skaar, C. (2006). Eco-labelling, Product Category Rules and Certification Procedures Based on ISO 14025 Requirements (6 pp). The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 11(1), 49–54. doi:10.1065/lca2006.01.237
  24. ^ Tasaki, T., Shobatake, K., Nakajima, K., & Dalhammar, C. (2017). International Survey of the Costs of Assessment for Environmental Product Declarations. Procedia CIRP, 61, 727– 731.doi:10.1016/j.procir.2016.11.158
  25. ^ "BS EN 15804 - Sustainability of construction works. Environmental product declarations. Core rules for the product category of construction products". landingpage.bsigroup.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  26. ^ "Programme Operators in ECO Platform". ECO Platform.
  27. ^ "Bilateral agreements and international recognitions". AENOR. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  28. ^ Hunsager, Einar Aalen; Bach, Martin; Breuer, Lutz (2014). "An institutional analysis of EPD programs and a globaal PCR registry". The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 19 (4): 786–795. doi:10.1007/s11367-014-0711-8. ISSN 1614-7502.
  29. ^ "ISO 21930:2017". International Organization for Standardization. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  30. ^ "Smart EPD".
  31. ^ "FP Innovations EPD Programs". Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  32. ^ "NSF International EPD Programs".
  33. ^ "The Sustainability Consortium".
  34. ^ "UL Environment EPD".
  35. ^ "ASTM Internation EPD".
  36. ^ "ICC Evaluation Services EPD".
  37. ^ "NRMCA EPD Program".
  38. ^ "SGS Global Services EPD".
  39. ^ "JEMAI CPF Program".
  40. ^ "Korean Environmental Industry & Technology Institute".
  41. ^ "Environment and Development Foundation".

External links

Retrieved from "https://mdwiki.org/wiki/Environmental_Product_Declaration"