The Importance of an EPD 

Environmental product declarations for building products are type III environmental declarations and are regulated by ISO 14025 and EN 15804. They contain quantifiable environmental information on a European harmonized scientific basis. The data are developed based on a life cycle assessment. By taking a holistic view of the building product, optimization potential along the material and energy flows can also be revealed.

EPD also helps companies to market their products. EPD covers a wide range of products from building products to textiles and food products, and is drawn up on the basis of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which the producer must provide when drawing up an EPD.

Three steps to an EPD

  1. At the initial meeting, our experts define the technical and organizational framework together with you. Product selection, life cycle stages and system boundaries are determined on the agenda of this meeting.

  2. In the second stage, environmental inputs and outputs are dealing with the life cycle process in the process analysis. In this process, the system is evaluated using the system boundary (greenhouse effect, acidification effect, depletion of the ozone layer). 

    With the help of Kiwa's own up-to-date life cycle assessment software (R<THiNK), we then transfer the data into the various impact categories (e.g. greenhouse effect, acidification effect, ozone layer depletion) and evaluate them. With the results, we can create a draft for the EPD.

  3. The EPD is then verified by an independent auditor. We provide communication and coordination with the verifier, after which the EPD is handed over to the product manufacturer. We transfer the EPD data to the relevant databases for building certification (e.g. Ökobaudat, EcoPlatform).

As a customer, you have the advantage with us that, as a program company recognized by EcoPlatform, we can provide you with a holistic approach from the simple software solution, through the validation and verification of the life cycle assessments, to the publication of the EPD.

How can Kiwa help you in the process?

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) should be performed for EPD. Before we start the process, the producer ensures that he has all required data, the required external Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and his quality system in order. Depending on the product, the LCA follows certain Product Category Rules (PCR). PCRs are developed by experts and this expert committee is organized by the program operator such as Ecobility Experts from Kiwa, working according to international standards ISO 14025 and EN 15804. Calculations should be made by LCA experts with existing LCA databases. After performing the LCA, the data will be transferred to the EPD plan and subjected to external verification by EPD, Ecobility Experts. In the next step, EPD results are published in EPD databases such as ÖKOBAUDAT.

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