Epd
In a world where awareness of environmental impact is constantly growing, the concept of EPD has become a crucial key to assess and understand a product's ecological footprint. These documents serve as critical guides, providing insight from the beginning to the end of a product's life cycle and helping us navigate through the complex labyrinth of sustainability aspects.
But what exactly is an EPD?
An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is a third-party verified document assessing a product's environmental performance from raw material extraction to the end of its life cycle. It includes key indicators such as carbon footprint, energy consumption, and the proportion of recycled material used.
EPDs are presented according to a standard, enabling easy comparison between products and facilitating a comprehensive assessment of environmental values.
A Tool for Sustainability Assessment
An EPD serves as a powerful tool to provide transparent and comparable information about a product's environmental impact throughout its life cycle. Instead of merely detailing its contents, EPDs focus on how the product affects the environment from raw material extraction to waste management and recycling.
To create an EPD, the process begins with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) where the product's emissions and environmental impact are assessed across its entire life cycle. The results from the LCA, which include information on climate impact and resource use, are then integrated into the EPD. This is done in accordance with standardized calculation rules known as Product Category Rules (PCR), enabling a comparative analysis between different products.
It's important to note that an EPD doesn't automatically define a product's environmental superiority. Instead, it serves as a reference point for users to assess and compare the environmental impact of products. Although both LCA and EPD follow ISO standards, simplifications and assumptions can influence the outcome. Therefore, it's crucial to be aware of these limitations and not solely focus on exact numbers.
In addition to guiding consumers, EPDs also enable businesses to make informed choices that promote sustainable development. These declarations can help achieve environmental goals by making it easier for customers to choose products with low environmental impact.
How do you read an EPD?
By reviewing the material declaration in an EPD, you obtain a detailed overview of the materials that constitute the product. Here, you can identify each material and its relative weight in the product, as well as the proportion of recycled material used.
In the example from the Pelican EPD, it is evident that the plastic components in the product are made from 50% recycled plastic, and the steel parts in the chair are made from 34% recycled steel. This information provides insight into the sustainability profile of the products and enables an assessment of their environmental impact based on material choices and recycling rates.
Below, you will also find information about the packaging material used to package the product.
In the EPD, we also provide significant technical information that may be valuable to you as a consumer. Here, you can discover details such as results from product testing, dimensions, weight, and any certifications the product has received. This technical information is intended to give you a more comprehensive understanding of the product and its characteristics, which can be crucial for making informed choices and ensuring that the product meets your specific needs and requirements
System boundaries
We divide it into three important phases to explain how our product affects the environment
1. Cradle to Gate (A1-A3) – focuses on analyzing the environmental impact from the manufacturing process of a product from its "cradle," which is raw material extraction and material production, to its "gate," representing the finished product before it leaves the manufacturing facility. Phases A1-A3 cover raw material extraction, material production, and the manufacturing process itself.
2. Cradle to Grave (A1-C4) – Here, we look at the entire life cycle of the product from the extraction of raw materials, the usage phase, and finally to how the product is disposed of when it is no longer needed. This stage includes recycling, final dismantling, and transportation to waste management. The usage phase is calculated over a 15-year period
3. Cradle to Cradle (A1-D) – In this scope, the focus is on creating a circular economy by recycling or reusing parts of the product to create new products or materials. This helps us reduce waste and promotes sustainable resource use.
We have also included the different versions of the product in the EPD. This way, we have a compilation of climate calculations for the remaining models of the product. By incorporating these variations, we can provide a more comprehensive picture of the product's overall climate impact and allow users to compare different versions to make well-informed choices considering environmental impact.
Do you need assistance with climate calculations for your purchases? Contact us.
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