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Environmental Product Declaration

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An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a Type III environmental declaration that quantifies environmental information about the life cycle of a product. This can 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 may produce EPDs in order to understand the environmental impact of their products or services, differentiate their products on the market and demonstrate a commitment to limiting environmental impacts.[6] EPDs are a transparency tool and do not certify whether a product can be considered environmentally friendly or not. 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

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The content of an EPD will vary according to the product category and methodology used. 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 environmental impact information desired by most EPD users can be found in one or two tables. Some manufacturers choose to include information about innovative production processes, using the EPD as a marketing tool.[original research?] 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]

The input data and LCA calculations are included in a background report, which are not typically published.

Digital EPDs

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EPDs are available directly from manufacturers or hosted on EPD databases, which are typically owned by the programme operators through which EPDs are 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 for the construction industry through the EN ISO 22057 standard, ILCD+EPD[9] and openEPD[10] formats. EN ISO 22057 was created by ISO/TC 59/SC 17 Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works based on the BIM data templates concept and it is compatible with the EPDs developed according to EN 15804 and ISO 21930. openEPD has been designed in a way that EPD data can be accessed via an API, promoting the integration of product-specific data into industrial design and stock inventory software.[11] Some limitations for machine-interpretability of digital EPDs have been identified[12] to use EPDs at asset level, in order to maximise its use and reduce environmental impacts.[13] The InData network[14] and other groups are working on improving these formats.

Framework for creating an EPD

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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.[15] The EPD is delivered as a document or report following a series of verification reviews; it is then ready for registration and publication.[16][3][4][5][6][17]

Product category rules

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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.[18]

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.[19] 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.[20]

Challenges

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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.[21][22][23]

  • Duplication of PCRs for similar product categories in different regions.[24] PCRs developed in under the European Committee for Standardization framework may differ from PCRs developed under ISO framework,[23] 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.[23]
  • Interpretation of the rules and requirements in 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.[23]
  • Secondary databases can offer significantly different emission values for the same process, activity or input (e.g., the embodied emissions of 1 metric tonne of coking coal). PCRs permit the use of secondary data for emission flows out of the control of the manufacturer creating the EPD (e.g., emissions from the upstream supply chain), and LCA practitioners have the choice of several, commercially operated databases. This variance decreases comparability of data in EPDs.[23]
  • 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,[25] leading to different outcomes that are not comparable.
  • Financial Constraints: Carrying out a detailed LCA and publishing an EPD can be cost-intensive.[26][27]

Construction sector

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EN 15804
Sustainability of construction works - Environmental product declarations - Core rules for the product category of construction products
OrganizationCEN
CommitteeCEN/TC 350 - Sustainability of construction works
DomainCore product category rules (PCR) for Type III environmental declarations for any construction product and construction service.
Websitehttps://standards.cencenelec.eu/dyn/www/f?p=205:110:0::::FSP_PROJECT:74037&cs=1DB6B38866B73011ED991761FF1B811AC

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) standard, EN 15804:2012+A2:2019/AC:2021,[28] is a common PCR for construction materials. Other complementary standards, for example for environmental building assessment (EN 15978) are also published by the same Technical Committee.

In order to enhance harmonization, the main Programme Operators for EPD verification in the construction sector created ECO Platform, with members from various European countries. The Programme Operators approved to issue EPDs with the ECO Platform verified logo[29] 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 Programme Operators are under bilateral mutual recognition agreements, including[30] IBU (Germany), EPD International (Sweden) and AENOR GlobalEPD (Spain).

The following programme operators are based in North America and Asia,[5][3][31] and typically develop PCRs based on ISO 21930:2017.[32]

ISO 21930
Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works — Core rules for environmental product declarations of construction products and services
StatusPublished
OrganizationISO
CommitteeISO/TC 59/SC 17
Base standardsISO 14025, ISO 14040, ISO 14044
DomainEnvironmental impact of construction works
Websitehttps://www.iso.org/standard/61694.html

North America

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  • SmartEPD (U.S. and Global)[33]
  • FP Innovations - EPD Program on Wood Products (Canada)[34]
  • NSF International (U.S.)[35]
  • The Sustainability Consortium (U.S.)[36]
  • UL Environment (U.S.)[37]
  • ASTM International (U.S.)[38]
  • ICC Evaluation Services (U.S.)[39]
  • National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (U.S.)[40]
  • SCS Global Services (U.S.)[41]

Asia

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  • Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (Japan)[42]
  • Korean Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (Korea)[43]
  • Environment and Development Foundation (Taiwan)[44]

See also

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References

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  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 (February 2013). "LCA and communication: Environmental Product Declaration". The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 18 (2): 293–295. Bibcode:2013IJLCA..18..293D. doi:10.1007/s11367-012-0513-9.
  4. ^ a b c Manzini, Raffaella; Noci, Giuliano; Ostinelli, Massimiliano; Pizzurno, Emanuele (March 2006). "Assessing environmental product declaration opportunities: a reference framework". Business Strategy and the Environment. 15 (2): 118–134. doi:10.1002/bse.453.
  5. ^ a b c d Minkov, Nikolay; Schneider, Laura; Lehmann, Annekatrin; Finkbeiner, Matthias (May 2015). "Type III Environmental Declaration Programmes and harmonization of product category rules: status quo and practical challenges". Journal of Cleaner Production. 94: 235–246. Bibcode:2015JCPro..94..235M. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.02.012.
  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. Bibcode:2001CorES...8..133A. doi:10.1016/s1066-7938(01)00094-x.
  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 23 May 2024.
  10. ^ "openEPD: Home - An Open Format for the world's Digital EPDs". openEPD. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  11. ^ "openEPD: Home - An Open Format for the world's Digital EPDs". openEPD. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  12. ^ Aragón, A.; Alberti, M.G. (November 2024). "Limitations of machine-interpretability of digital EPDs used for a BIM-based sustainability assessment of construction assets". Journal of Building Engineering. 96: 110418. doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110418.
  13. ^ Anderson, Jane; Rønning, Anne (2022). "Using standards to maximise the benefit of digitisation of construction product Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to reduce Building Life Cycle Impacts". E3S Web of Conferences. 349: 10003. Bibcode:2022E3SWC.34910003A. doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202234910003.
  14. ^ "InData". InData. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  15. ^ WBSCD (29 September 2014). "Life Cycle Metrics for Chemical Products". Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "How to get an EPD". Building Transparency. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  18. ^ 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. Bibcode:2012JCPro..24..102I. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.10.040.
  19. ^ Almeida, Marisa Isabel; Dias, Ana Cláudia; Demertzi, Martha; Arroja, Luís (April 2015). "Contribution to the development of product category rules for ceramic bricks". Journal of Cleaner Production. 92: 206–215. Bibcode:2015JCPro..92..206A. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.12.073. hdl:10773/16706.
  20. ^ Environmental labels and declarations. Type III environmental declarations. Principles and procedures, International Organization for Standardization, retrieved 26 April 2019
  21. ^ Teehan, Paul; Kandlikar, Milind (April 2012). "Sources of Variation in Life Cycle Assessments of Desktop Computers". Journal of Industrial Ecology. 16 (s1). doi:10.1111/j.1530-9290.2011.00431.x.
  22. ^ Säynäjoki, Antti; Heinonen, Jukka; Junnila, Seppo; Horvath, Arpad (5 January 2017). "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.
  23. ^ 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 23 May 2024.
  24. ^ Subramanian, Vairavan; Ingwersen, Wesley; Hensler, Connie; Collie, Heather (August 2012). "Comparing product category rules from different programs: learned outcomes towards global alignment". The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 17 (7): 892–903. Bibcode:2012IJLCA..17..892S. doi:10.1007/s11367-012-0419-6.
  25. ^ 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
  26. ^ 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
  27. ^ 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
  28. ^ CEN. "EN 15804:2012+A2:2019/AC:2021". standards.cencenelec.eu. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Programme Operators in ECO Platform". ECO Platform.
  30. ^ "Bilateral agreements and international recognitions". AENOR. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  31. ^ Hunsager, Einar Aalen; Bach, Martin; Breuer, Lutz (April 2014). "An institutional analysis of EPD programs and a global PCR registry". The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 19 (4): 786–795. Bibcode:2014IJLCA..19..786H. doi:10.1007/s11367-014-0711-8.
  32. ^ "ISO 21930:2017". International Organization for Standardization. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Smart EPD".
  34. ^ "FP Innovations EPD Programs". Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  35. ^ "NSF International EPD Programs".
  36. ^ "The Sustainability Consortium".
  37. ^ "UL Environment EPD".
  38. ^ "ASTM Internation EPD".
  39. ^ "ICC Evaluation Services EPD".
  40. ^ "NRMCA EPD Program".
  41. ^ "SGS Global Services EPD".
  42. ^ "JEMAI CPF Program".
  43. ^ "Korean Environmental Industry & Technology Institute".
  44. ^ "Environment and Development Foundation".
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