ISO 14025 Type III

In order to construct an EPD in a comparable way, it must follow the ISO 14025 Type III standard. Most EPDs follow this standard as it is the standard behind making environmental declarations. The standard states that an environmental declaration must use quantified product life cycle environmental information according to predetermined parameters. In addition, sometimes EDPs include additional environmental information that enables comparisons between products. However, this is only relevant for comparing products that fulfil the same function, so this is not always relevant. EPDs (ISO 14025 Type III) are subject to the administration of a program operator. The program operator is the organization that coordinates stakeholders and ensures adherence to ISO standards. They make sure the final EPD follows product category rules* and are independently verified. Product category rules are the set of rules, requirements, or guidelines for developing an EPD for a specific product category

In general, environmental labels and/or declarations have the overarching goal of stimulating the potential for market-driven continuous environmental improvement. EPDs (Type III in particular) have the following goals:

1. To objectively and transparently communicate information on the environmental aspects of products according to the life cycle stages of a product (i.e. based on LCA).
2. Allow purchasers and/or users to make a fair comparison of the environmental performance of products within a life cycle perspective.
3. They encourage improvement of environmental performance.

Furthermore, as a minimum, an EPD (Type III) must include:

1. A description of the product and the manufacturer.
2. Information from the company, the LCA practitioner, verifier, program operator and certification body.
3. The environmental performance of the product over the included life cycle stages. This is the essence of EPD and is based on the product LCA.

Overall, within the world of LCA, the term “EPD” is normally understood as a type III environmental declaration. Here at Ecomatters, we have a strong history in conducting quality LCA, following the appropriate standards, for products and services. Do you have any questions, or are you looking for EPD support? Check out our case studies or get in contact with us for more information.