WHAT IS THAT
The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) reports the environmental performance related to the life cycle of a product. Of all the programs developed in application of ISO 14025 (Type III environmental labeling), CSQA carries out checks according to the International EPD ® System Program.The EPD is a document that allows you to communicate objective , comparable and credible information relating to the environmental performance of products and services. The information contained in the EPD is exclusively informative/communicative on environmental performance (they do not prescribe performance thresholds).
The reference standard is currently represented by the General Program Instructions (GPI) for EPD . It (and its annexes) contains, in addition to the description of the International EDP System, the requirements and guidelines for the development of EPD and PCR.
In order to validate the EPD, the declared environmental performances must comply with what is established in a document called PCR - Product Category Rules - which, in fact, dictates the rules for the implementation of the LCA study and the EPD declaration, relative to a specific product category.
PCRs are publicly available on the International EDP System website in both approved and draft/revision form.
EPD PROCESS
To streamline the process of collecting data, conducting LCAs and developing large-scale EPDs, the International EPD® System provides organizations with the ability to certify their EPD Process.An organization that has an EPD Process certification assessed and certified by an accredited certification body is allowed to develop and issue new EPDs for registration and publication on www.environdec.com , and update published EPDs, without the CB being involved for each validation.
MAIN STEPS
- Find or produce a Product Category Rules ( PCR ) for the specific product category
- Conduct an LCA study based on the reference PCR
- Enter the environmental information in the EPD Declaration
- Verification and validation
- Registration and publication (following the validation of the EPD it is the Organization's responsibility to directly request registration from the Program Manager)
ADVANTAGES
The development of an EPD can represent an opportunity for the organization to obtain the following benefits in particular:- the evaluation of the environmental quality of the products through the identification and reduction of the environmental impacts connected to the produced system
- the possibility of reducing management and production costs , through the environmental/energy optimization that can arise from an analysis of this type
- the stimulus to the use of eco-compatible technologies and materials
- the definition of corporate strategies also in terms of designing more sustainable alternative products and/or processes
- the visibility of the "EPD brand" on the product , as a credible communication and marketing tool