An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a document that provides information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle.
You can see the EPD from our Hemp Block supplier Senini which covers Hemp and Lime Bio Composite Building products here:
01-EPD-DOCUMENTI_EN_NOV22_Eng_Jd40cDD_b5JAVSM
EPDs make it possible to compare the environmental impacts of different products and materials in order to select the most sustainable option. They are primarily intended to facilitate business-to-business transactions, although they may also be of benefit to consumers who are environmentally focused when choosing goods or services.
Companies implement EPDs to improve their sustainability goals and demonstrate a commitment to the environment to customers.
The goal of an EPD is to inform and communicate with stakeholders about a product’s environmental impact. EPDs are built around the life-cycle assessment practice and methodology. However, their scope extends beyond life-cycle assessment, because of the additional requirements from the standards and related frameworks.
There are several types of EPDs that cover different life-cycle stages of a product.
- Cradle-to-gate EPD involves only the manufacturing process and harvesting of a material. It has the minimum amount of data for life-cycle assessment.
- Cradle-to-grave EPD includes the whole life cycle of a product, specifically covering its maintenance and the end of life.
- Cradle-to-gate with options includes the minimum requirements that are present in the cradle-to-gate option with a few additional information modules from cradle-to-grave EPD variation.
EPDs are voluntary, but their use is rapidly growing in line with awareness about environmental impacts. Both public and private stakeholders are increasingly demanding EPDs. There are a number of benefits to creating or using EPDs including market differentiation, regulation and legal requirements, and credits and certification.
