Preparation of the environmental declaration of the product EPD According to Life Cycle Assessment
We help manufacturers and suppliers prepare the Environmental Product Declaration Environmental Product Declaration By defining the product scope, selecting product category rules and the publishing path, collecting factory and supplier data, preparing the life cycle analysis, drafting technical documents, and coordinating with the independent verification body and publishing program.
The service can be implemented for a single product, a product family, multiple manufacturing sites, or within an integrated product portfolio program, while building an updateable database and preparing appropriate summaries for tenders, specifications, and sales teams.
What is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)? EPD؟
An Environmental Product Declaration is a document that presents quantitative information about the potential environmental impacts of a product during life cycle stages specified in the applicable product category rules. The document is built on life cycle analysis LCA, and is usually subject to independent review, then registered or published through the chosen environmental declaration program.
No longer EPD an environmental label or a pass/fail certificate, and it does not prove by itself that a product is better than another product. Comparison requires unifying product category rules, unit, scope, methodology, and document validity period.
What does an Environmental Product Declaration show?
The declaration presents the results of a set of environmental impact indicators, resource use, waste flows, and outputs according to product category rules and the requirements of the publishing program used. It is usually attached to a life cycle analysis technical report explaining the objective, scope, data, assumptions, calculations, and limitations.
The quality of the declaration depends on the quality of the data used, the extent of its representation of the factory, product, and time period, the accuracy of defining system boundaries, the transparency of assumptions, and the traceability of each value to a source, record, or supporting evidence.
When does a manufacturer need to prepare an EPD?
The declaration may be directly required in a project or tender, or used within a broader program for product development, data management, and sustainability.
Tender or project requirement
When a developer, consultant, or contractor requests a product-specific environmental declaration within qualification or certification documents.
Green building projects
When environmental product documentation is needed to support the requirements of a rating system or project specification, after reviewing the version and the actual requirement.
Exporting and entering new markets
When the factory needs an environmental disclosure that can be used in front of buyers and specifiers in regional or international markets.
Low-Impact Product Development
When the facility wants to identify the materials, processes, and stages with the highest contribution to environmental impact and test improvement alternatives.
Environmental Claims Governance
When the company wants to support its environmental messages with verifiable quantitative data instead of relying on general, unspecified statements.
Building a Disclosure Portfolio
When there are multiple products or factories and a need for a unified database and procedures to prepare, update, and renew declarations.
What does the service include Product Environmental Declaration Preparation?
Modules can be implemented separately or integrated into a complete program starting from product strategy and ending with publishing, improvement, and renewal plans.
Readiness and Product Strategy
Selecting products, inventory units, target markets, intended use, declared or functional unit, and product family strategy.
PCR Pathway and Publication Program
Identifying applicable product category rules, publishing programs, geographical scope, and relevant transition or update requirements.
Data Collection and Quality Assurance
Preparing data collection templates, evidence logs, site interviews, organizing supplier data, and assessing data quality.
Life Cycle Modeling and Analysis
Building the life cycle model, calculating indicators, analyzing contributions, impact points, sensitivity, and uncertainty when needed.
EPD Drafting and Technical Report
Preparing the declaration draft, life cycle assessment project report, and necessary confidential appendices to support calculations and data.
Coordination with Verification Body
Organizing verifier questions, evidence, responses, modifications, and revision logs until the external process is completed.
Registration and publication
Preparing the submission package, coordinating with the publishing program, and preparing a concise summary suitable for tenders and sales.
Improvement and Renewal
Reviewing existing declarations, modeling improvement scenarios, organizing annual data updates, and the renewal plan.
Product readiness assessment Before Starting LCA and Verification
Readiness assessment aims to determine the correct commercial and technical requirement, discover data gaps early, identify products and factories within the scope, and avoid initiating modeling or verification that does not comply with the program or target market.
Eight stages from product strategy To publication and improvement
The phased approach maintains the clarity of technical decisions, data quality, responsibilities of parties, and the evidence and revision log.
Readiness and Product Scope
Adopting the project objective, products, factories, markets, use, and the declared or functional unit.
PCR and Program Selection
Reviewing product category rules, publishing programs, and applicable geographical and sectoral requirements.
Data and evidence collection
Preparing models and collecting data for the factory, suppliers, transportation, packaging, use, and end-of-life.
Model Building and Calculations
Creating the life cycle model, defining boundaries, allocation, exclusions, scenarios, and performing calculations.
Results and Quality Analysis
Reviewing consistency, data completeness, contribution analysis, sensitivity, limitations, and uncertainty.
EPD Preparation and LCA Report
Drafting the declaration, preparing the technical project report, appendices, and supporting documents for the verification process.
Independent verification
Submitting documents to the relevant independent entity and managing inquiries, evidence, modifications, and the response log.
Registration, Publication, and Improvement
Coordinating registration and publication, preparing the market summary, updating and renewal plan, and product improvement.
Confirmation of product, factories, unit, and product list.
Traceable data, evidence log, and documented gaps.
Model review, calculations, draft, and technical report.
Completion of verification, registration, and publication with relevant parties.
What does the factory need to prepare?
Final data varies depending on product category rules and study boundaries, but the core evidence structure includes operational, product, and supply chain data.
Factory and Operations
- Annual production volume and waste rates.
- Electricity, fuel and heat consumption.
- Water consumption.
- Direct emissions when associated with the range.
- Waste, treatment, and recovery methods.
- Operations map and production lines.
- Basis for allocation of inputs among products.
- Environmental and quality records.
Product and Packaging
- Product function and technical specifications.
- Bill of raw materials and quantities.
- Recycled or bio-based content.
- Installation of packaging materials.
- Accessories and installation materials.
- Use and maintenance when relevant to the scope.
- Reference operational life when needed.
- Product end-of-life scenarios.
Supply Chain and Transportation
- Supplier and country of origin of the material.
- Means and distance of transport to the factory.
- Primary and secondary data used.
- Distribution scenarios from the factory.
- Supplier declarations or verified data.
- Technical documents and material proofs.
- Site-specific supply data.
- Data confidentiality and ownership restrictions.
From individual processes To the complete product system
System boundaries, allocation rules, exclusions, scenarios, and justifications are documented in accordance with product category rules and the publishing program.
Pre-manufacturing stages
- Extraction and production of raw materials.
- Supplier operations.
- Transportation of materials to the factory.
Manufacturing stage
- Electricity, fuel, and energy.
- Process inputs.
- Emissions and waste.
Distribution and installation
- Packaging and packaging.
- Transportation to markets.
- Installation and losses.
Use stage
- Maintenance.
- Energy or water consumption.
- Repair and replacement.
End of Life
- Disassembly or removal.
- Waste processing.
- Recycling or disposal.
Environmental impact indicators and resource use
The indicator list and calculation methodology follow the product category rules and publishing program applicable to the project.
Climate and atmosphere
- Global warming potential.
- Ozone depletion.
- Photochemical ozone formation.
- Particulate matter and air-related indicators.
Water and nutrients
- Freshwater eutrophication.
- Marine and terrestrial eutrophication.
- Water use or deprivation.
- Water flows in life cycle inventory.
Energy and resources
- Renewable and non-renewable primary energy.
- Fossil resources.
- Minerals and metals.
- Secondary materials and fuels.
Waste and output flows
- Hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
- Special waste where applicable.
- Recycling and energy recovery flows.
- Materials and energy exported outside the system.
Single product or product family Or multiple factories?
The project strategy is selected based on the similarity of products, processes, manufacturing locations, program requirements, and data separability.
Single product
Suitable for a priority product or an urgent requirement for a specific project or market.
- Clear and defined scope.
- Data for a specific factory or production line.
- Single verification and deployment path.
Product family
Suitable for products with similar materials, performance, or manufacturing processes.
- Defining variation rules.
- Representative product analysis.
- Scope or included products display.
Multiple manufacturing sites
Suitable for products manufactured in more than one factory, country, or production line.
- Review of energy and technology variance.
- Determine the aggregation or separation methodology.
- Documentation of geographical representation.
Product portfolio program
Suitable for manufacturers who need to issue declarations on an ongoing basis.
- Centralized database.
- Standardized templates for factories and suppliers.
- Annual issuance and renewal plan.
Clear separation between the owner and the preparer And the publishing program and verification body
Separation of roles protects the credibility of the declaration, limits conflicts of interest, and ensures clarity of responsibility for data, calculations, review, and publication.
Declaration Owner
The factory or entity that owns the productOwns the product data and declaration, and bears responsibility for the accuracy of inputs and decisions regarding publication and use.
Declaration Preparer
Albuad Environmental CompanyDefines the scope, organizes data, builds the life cycle model, prepares reports, and coordinates responses.
Declaration Program
Applicable publishing programManages program rules, product category rule procedures, registration, and the publication framework.
Independent Verification Body
Qualified or Program-Approved PartyReviews compliance, calculations, data quality, and declaration requirements prior to registration.
Service Deliverables EPD preparation
Output versions are controlled and linked to the log of evidence, notes, and changes used during verification and registration.
Readiness assessment and gap analysis.
Product scope memo and Product Category Rules decision.
A data collection form and a record of evidence.
Life cycle model and calculation files.
Life cycle analysis project report.
Draft EPD and final version.
Verification response and modification log.
Submission package for registration and publication.
One-page summary for tenders and sales.
Impact hotspot map and product improvement.
Confidential data appendix when needed.
Annual update and renewal plan.
Using the LCA model To improve the product and reduce impact
The life cycle model can be used as a tool for decision-making and product development, not just for preparing a document for publication.
Impact hotspots by stage, process, and material.
Material, energy, transport, and packaging alternatives.
Balancing impact, cost, feasibility, and risk.
Supplier, process, and design changes.
Updating data and documenting improvement evidence.
Materials
Lower-impact inputs, recycled content, and supplier-specific data.
Energy
Increasing efficiency, renewable energy, and fuel switching where feasible.
Production Efficiency
Reducing waste, improving yield, and enhancing quality and operational rates.
Logistics
Supplier location, transport mode, distances, and distribution scenarios.
Packaging
Weight reduction, reuse, and selection of recyclable materials.
Circular Economy
Operational lifespan, repair, reuse, and end-of-life pathways.
Sectors that can be supported in EPD preparation
Technical support that combines factory reality and international disclosure requirements
Understanding industrial processes
Linking the life cycle model to actual production lines, energy, materials, waste, and scrap.
Data and evidence structuring
Organized collection templates, source register, versions, and traceable and reviewable gaps.
Multi-party coordination
Working with production, quality, sustainability, procurement, suppliers, the verifier, and the publishing program.
Tender and market support
Translating technical documents into clear summaries for sales, projects, and specifier teams.
Scalable software
Starting the service with a single product, then expanding the database to additional families, products, and factories.
Post-publication optimization
Using the results to evaluate materials, energy, transportation, packaging, and opportunities to reduce environmental impact.
Albuad Environmental Company prepares documents and does not grant certification
Albuad Environmental Company defines the product scope, collects and organizes data, builds the life cycle assessment model, prepares the project report and draft declaration, conducts quality review, and coordinates with relevant stakeholders.
As for independent verification, registration, publishing, and the declaration acceptance decision, these are handled by competent third parties in accordance with the publishing program and applicable product category rules. The preparation process does not guarantee product acceptance in a tender or the acquisition of points within a green building system.
Questions about preparing Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Is EPD a certificate that proves that the product is environmentally friendly
No. An environmental declaration is a disclosure document presenting the results of potential environmental impact according to a specific methodology, rather than an eco-label, a certificate of superiority, or proof that the product is environmentally friendly under all circumstances.
What is the relationship between LCA and EPD?
Life cycle assessment is the technical and computational basis for the declaration. The LCA report outlines the scope, data, calculations, and assumptions, while the EPD presents the results in an organized format according to product category rules and the publishing program.
What are Product Category Rules (PCR)?
These are technical rules that determine how to prepare a study and declaration for a specific product category, including the declared unit, system boundaries, indicators, data, scenarios, and presentation requirements.
Can an EPD be prepared before choosing the publication program?
The publishing program and product category rules must be reviewed early on, because differences in the program or PCR may affect the scope, indicators, data, report format, and verification path.
Can an EPD be prepared for a product family?
This can be studied according to program rules, the degree of similarity of products, materials, and processes, and the factory's ability to clarify differences and appropriately represent the included products.
Can an EPD be prepared for multiple factories?
This is possible when permitted by applicable rules, provided that the differences in manufacturing locations, energy, technology, materials, transportation, and assembly methods are documented, or that data is separated.
What is the required time period for factory data?
The period is determined according to product category rules and program requirements. It is preferred that the data be recent, representative of normal operations, and traceable to factory records.
What happens if supplier data is unavailable?
Critical data is identified, suppliers are contacted, gaps are documented, and alternative data permitted by the methodology is studied, while indicating its impact on the quality of results and uncertainty.
Who verifies the EPD?
Verification is performed by a qualified or accredited independent party in accordance with the requirements of the publishing program. The preparer of the LCA study is not considered the independent verifier for the project.
Does the EPD guarantee product acceptance in LEED or any tender?
No. Eligibility depends on the rating system and its version, the text of the requirement, the product type, the declaration's scope and validity, and the decision of the project team or purchasing entity.
How long does the EPD preparation service take?
The duration varies depending on the number of products and factories, data availability, supply chain complexity, supplier speed, PCR requirements, and the third-party verification and registration duration.
What is required to obtain a technical proposal?
Initially, the product name and category, number of products and factories, target market, reason for request, project or tender requirement, and the availability of data for production, energy, materials, and suppliers are required.
The final methodology for each product is determined independently
The scope of the study, indicators, unit, system boundaries, scenarios, verification and publication rules depend on the product category, target market, PCR rules, and the chosen declaration program.
Is your product ready to prepare EPD؟
Send the product name and category, number of factories, target market, project or tender requirement, and the team will review the product scope, data availability, and the appropriate product category rules, verification, and publication path.