Product LCAs and EPDs
Conducting life cycle assessments & developing environmental product declarations for products.
Product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
For products, a life cycle assessment is a systematic approach used to measure the environmental impacts of a product across its entire life cycle. It evaluates every stage, from raw material extraction and manufacturing to distribution, use, and disposal or recycling. It provides a holistic view of environmental impacts that can guide sustainable practices and enable informed decision-making.
Life cycle assessments for products can lead to:
- Quantification of the environmental impact of a product in terms of carbon footprint, water footprint, eutrophication, ozone depletion potential, etc.
- Identification of areas for improvement in cradle-to-gate processes like raw material sourcing, transportation to manufacturing unit, waste generation at factories, etc.
- Protection against greenwashing by providing transparent and verifiable data on a product’s environmental impact.
- Easy comparison of competing products to allow informed decision-making for procurement teams
- Strategic positioning of environmentally responsible manufacturers and products in comparison to business-as-usual products
- Ease in earning Type I ecolabels and certifications
- Development of white papers from data-driven assessments and insights
- Development of new products and optimized supply chains through early adoption of the life cycle approach
For a product LCA, our approach begins with meticulous data collection from the manufacturing unit. Detailed LCA models are developed using industry-standard tools and methodologies to quantify environmental impacts. The environmental impacts are then analysed in detail to identify areas for improvement. All assessments are conducted per protocols established by standards like ISO 14040, ISO 14044, EN 15804, and any other relevant standard.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are standardized documents elucidating a product’s environmental performance throughout its life cycle. To create an EPD, an LCA report undergoes third-party verification and is then published in the public domain through operators like the International EPD System and EPD Hub. While Product LCA mainly improves product design and manufacturing, EPDs are tools for consumers and businesses, facilitating sustainable decision-making by providing transparent data. They allow consumers to compare products based on environmental criteria and businesses to align their strategies with sustainability goals. Additionally, EPDs aid compliance with export regulations and initiatives like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), fostering transparency and trust by providing verified, standardized information.
The EPDs are based on the requirements of:
- ISO 14025 – Environmental labels and declarations – Type III environmental declarations – Principles and procedures.
- ISO 14026 – Environmental labels and declarations – Principles, requirements, and guidelines for communication of footprint information
- ISO/TS 14027 – Environmental labels and declarations – Development of product category rules
Monk Spaces assists in publishing EPDs by conducting an LCA, developing an EPD report, and hand-holding through the verification process in a streamlined manner. Some recent EPDs published by Monk Spaces include:
