An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardized representation of the environmental impact of a product over its entire life cycle. An EPD provides information on various environmental aspects such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, resource consumption, water consumption and waste generation.
The EPD is prepared on the basis of a so-called life cycle assessment (LCA), which assesses the environmental impact of a product from raw material extraction to production, use and disposal or recycling.
An EPD is a voluntary declaration issued by independent organizations or certification bodies. It allows businesses and consumers to compare the environmental impact of products and make an informed decision. EPDs are particularly useful in industries where products are often compared to each other, such as construction products.
EPDs are assigned in a four-step process:
(1) Product Category Rules (PCR):
If not already in place, product category rules are created for the product. They set out general and product-specific rules, requirements, and guidelines to create an EPD for a specific product within a product category. (Suggestions for improvement from the public will be taken into account)
(2) Creation of the EPD:
The manufacturer collects an EPD for his product using an online tool and on the basis of the previously defined PCR. A background report makes the data verifiable.
(3) Testing of the EPD:
Before publication, the EPD is audited by an independent third party on the basis of ISO 14025, EN 15804 and the IBU program rules.
(4) Publication:
The EPD is published by the IBU and is valid for 5 years until it needs to be updated.
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