What is an EPD?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent and comparable data and other relevant environmental information about the life-cycle environmental impact of a product.

Multiple datasets are included in an EPD: resource consumption of energy, water and renewable resources, and emissions to air, water and soil. This data is aggregated using multiple environmental impacts including contributions to climate change (carbon footprint), air, water and soil pollution and resource depletion.

Other relevant impacts and environmental information may also be included. This may include data on product performance, the company’s environmental management system or other environmental certifications.

The relevant standard for Environmental Product Declarations is ISO 14025, where they are referred to as “type III environmental declarations”. A type III environmental declaration is created and registered in the framework of a programme, such as EPD Australasia.

Businesses and industry associations have found EPDs very useful for a number of applications. Including,  explaining aspects of production, distribution, usage or end-of-life options (recycling and disposal) that are commonly misunderstood by the market.

All EPDs registered with EPD Australasia are independently verified to ISO 14025, a relevant Product Category Rule (PCR) and the Programme’s General Programme Instructions (GPIs). For all building and construction products the PCR is based on EN 15804 Sustainability of Construction Works to ensure the data can be included in a whole-of-building life cycle assessment to the EN 15879 standard.

Unlike type I ecolabels, an EPD does not judge products or imply that a declared product is environmentally superior to alternatives. That judgement or comparison is left to the EPD user in the context of their design project or usage. The standards and rules that an EPD must comply with ensure that products can be compared on a fair and equitable basis within their product category.

All EPDs registered with EPD Australasia are publicly available and mutually recognised within the International EPD® System, ensuring global alignment and broad market visibility.

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