What is an EPD? 

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a verified document that communicates transparent and comparable information about the environmental impacts of a product (International EPD System, 2026). EPDs utilize results from an ISO-certified (14040 and 14044) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and condense the information into a more consumable and standardized format.

Typical EPDs report on several environmental indicators including, but not limited to: global warming potential, eutrophication potential, acidification potential, resource depletion, and ozone depletion potential. Historically they have been focused on construction materials such as steel or concrete; however, EPDs have spread into several other industries, including the electrical, packaging, apparel and chemical sectors. 

An EPD can be one of several types:

  • Cradle-to-grave EPD: A type of Environmental Product Declaration that provides a more comprehensive view of a products life cycle and includes the same stages as a cradle-to-gate EPD, but extends to cover the distribution of a product, the use phase, and the disposal or end-of-life stage. This type of EPD is useful when making consumer facing claims, adhering to regulatory requirements, and when a product has significant downstream impacts. 
  • Cradle-to-gate EPD: A type of Environmental Product Declaration that considers the life cycle stages of raw material extraction and processing, transport to factory, and the manufacturing stage of a product. This type of EPD is most commonly used when data for the use phase or end-of-life phase of a product is not available or highly variable.
  • Cradle-to-gate with options/modules: A type of Environmental Product Declaration that has the same system boundaries as a cradle-to-gate EPD, but with extra modules included to expand the scope of the EPD. For example you could create a cradle-to-gate EPD and include module C (EoL) if it would be relevant to the product. 

Why develop an EPD?

Developing EPDs for your products provides strategic advantages that can strengthen your market position.

  • Meeting consumer and regulatory demands – There are many new regulatory requirements surrounding EPDs, many of which are mandating verifiable and transparent environmental information. There has also been an increase in consumer demand for more sustainable products and increased transparency surrounding the products they are purchasing. Creating EPDs can assist in both of these areas. An additional benefit is that EPDs can help with reporting in other areas such as ESG or Scope 3 emissions. 
  • Market differentiation – The ability to show consumers and other businesses that your product has verifiable transparency is a powerful business tool. Having published EPDs shows the market that your business is an industry leader and can stay at the forefront of the shifting pressures of the market. EPDs are an especially valuable tool in B2B interactions as they can add credibility to your product and influence procurement decisions. 
  • Informed decision-making – Conducting a Life Cycle Assessment and creating an associated Environmental Product Declaration can help producers contextualize the environmental impacts of their products. This can help to understand where your products rank amongst industry averages for similar products and get an idea of what you’re doing right and what could be improved. This can aid in future decisions for your products and enable a focus on the hotspots of your products, which will ultimately guide you towards reaching your sustainability goals. 

How to develop an EPD

The first step for creating an Environmental Product Declaration is to identify the appropriate program operator. This decision is based on the type of product you plan to create an EPD for and the region in which you will do so.

Next, determine and select the correct Product Category Rule (PCR) that covers your product. PCRs determine what methodology will be used to develop an EPD. They define and standardize how the environmental impact of a product will be calculated and presented. Because each product category has its own PCR, the scope, metrics, and reporting structure of an Environmental Product Declaration can vary depending on the product being evaluated.

The next step is to gather all necessary data and create a Life Cycle Assessment. The selected PCR will help determine what data will be needed to complete the LCA, it will also help decide the correct type of EPD you should create. It is also important to note that the LCA must be third-party reviewed prior to creation of the EPD. This step tends to be the most time-intensive. 

Next, is creating the Environmental Product Declaration using the information compiled in the LCA. This will include presenting the name and material of the product, the declared unit used for the EPD, and the associated environmental impacts.

The final step of the process is to verify and publish the EPD. The EPD must go through a third-party verification process according to ISO 14025 and the General Programme Instructions (GPIs). The EPD will then be released through a program operator’s EPD database and any other location that would be useful, such as the manufacturer’s website (EPA, 2024). EPDs will require an update after around five years or when there are major changes made to a product. 

How can Trayak help

Trayak’s Environmental Product Declaration offering is service-based with everything required to develop, review, and publish EPDs being handled by our expert team. We can take care of every step of the process from the development of the LCA to the publishing of the EPD.

With your data, we are able to provide third-party reviewed LCAs, prepare EPDs aligned with the relevant Product Category Rules (PCRs), General Program Instructions (GPIs), and ISO 14025 standard, and facilitate the publication process through the program operator that best aligns with our clients’ needs. 

With growing demand Trayak is positioned to help organizations expand transparency, meet marketing and customer expectations, and align with global reporting standards. Contact us to start your EPDs today.