Overview
Product Category Rules (PCRs), Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are inextricably linked. The purpose for each should be understood.
Product Category Rules
PCRs provide a detailed method for collecting and analyzing data to support comparable, informed and objective environmentally responsible purchases. Data requested within the PCRs and needed for the completion of an LCA is drawn from several sources.
- Primary data is sourced specifically from the product manufacturer or industry group. This raw data may include, but is not limited to, electrical power usage, monthly monitoring data, supplier sources, etc.
- Secondary data is allowed from reputable and reliable sources, ranging from peer-reviewed papers to commercially available databases. Secondary data is aggregated or modified data from a reputable source and often includes descriptions of the electric grid derived by the local utility company.
- Tertiary data is aggregated from many sources, including commercial databases.
The Fenestration PCR defines a normalized “declared unit” of one square meter of fenestration including glass or other infill. This levels the playing field between various similar products. The relative ratio of framing and glass is derived from NFRC standard sizes and configurations prior to normalization. Of course, this may or may not be representative of the project-specific sizes and configurations on a specific building or group of buildings. Project-specific EPDs are not generated.
In comparing products from different PCR categories, or in some cases, even the same PCR category, it is important to understand the variability and bias that may be introduced from the use of different background data sources. This is especially critical when comparing embodied carbon between various products and product groups.
The PCR for the window industry is available on the NSF website.
Life Cycle Assessments
An LCA is a technique for assessing the environmental, certain health and other potential impacts associated with a product, process or service. An LCA may be a useful tool, providing whole-system consideration.
LCAs can take into consideration impacts of all stages of a product’s life, or portion of the product’s life, from extraction to delivery on site (cradle-to-gate), and in some cases the use-phase and end-of-life phase. It must include data on each component of the finished product and the process used in manufacturing.
The LCA may or may not include accessory components (receptors, panning, anchors, etc.) and protective coatings (film or spray-applied) for use on a particular building.
Environmental Product Declaration
An EPD is a comprehensive, internationally harmonized report summarizing LCA results and is independently certified to document the ways in which a product, or a group of similar industry products, throughout its life cycle or through defined portions of its life cycle, affects the environment. EPDs can be industry-wide or product-specific. EPDs disclose only environmental impacts, not other aspects of the broader definition of sustainability such as social justice, financial viability or governance.
EPDs are intended to be:
- Credible: EPDs utilize ISO-defined scientific principles and third-party verification.
- Comparable: EPDs allow some level of comparison of products or groups of products, if they are based on the same PCRs and identical sets of criteria, and if variability is considered in any direct comparison.
- Neutral: EPDs should be based on uniform background data to offer a level, neutral playing field for high-level comparisons of products or groups of products within the same PCR.
In their simplest form, EPDs are ecolabels that disclose the environmental performance of products based on an LCA. The environmental impact of each of the materials that make up the final product and the processes used to manufacture the product must be identified, assessed and clearly presented.
EPDs demonstrate a manufacturer’s commitment to sustainability while showcasing a willingness to provide non-proprietary, environmental data with transparency and clarity. They also equip manufacturers with a valuable tool for product differentiation and continuous improvement, as well as helping purchasers to better understand a product’s environmental impacts.
Types of EPDs
An industry-wide EPD refers to a declaration that covers multiple companies or organizations within a specific industry, providing a comprehensive overview of the environmental performance of products within that industry. It helps stakeholders make informed decisions by comparing the environmental impacts of different products and promoting sustainability in the industry.
A systems EPD offers a comprehensive view of environmental performance, enabling stakeholders to assess the overall sustainability and make informed decisions. It can be particularly useful when evaluating complex systems with interdependencies or when comparing the environmental impacts of different products or groups of products within an industry. By providing standardized and verified environmental information, systems EPDs contribute to promoting sustainability and facilitating more sustainable practices.
There are three types of EPDs, as defined by ISO:
- ISO 14024 establishes the principles and procedures for developing Type I environmental labeling programs.
- ISO 14021 specifies requirements for Type II self-declared environmental claims.
- ISO 14025 defines a Type III declaration as one that “quantifies environmental information on the life cycle of a product to enable comparisons between products fulfilling the same function.”
In addition to industry-wide EPDs, there are also company-specific EPDs that can cover multiple products, multiple plants, single plants, multiple/single supply chains; Each have different levels of precision/variation.
The EPD Process
A PCR document is created to provide manufacturers with uniform rules to measure the environmental impact of like products during the PCR-defined life cycle stage. A full assessment of each product’s or group of product’s life cycle must be conducted using LCA following an appropriate PCR to create a qualifying EPD.
The Program Operator, an independent agency, ensures that the necessary steps in creating an EPD are followed in accordance with ISO standards. Once a product-specific or industry-wide EPD has been created and peer-reviewed, it is then returned to the Program Operator and made available in a library of EPDs that are based on that PCR. Once created, PCRs are reviewed every three to five years and updated to reflect continuous improvement initiatives and to address relevant changes in the industry.
Steps to Creating an EPD
- EPDs have to meet and comply with specific and strict methodological prerequisites, known as PCRs, to ensure that similar procedures are used when creating EPDs.
- PCRs are developed for different product categories and are the mandatory rules behind each EPD. They dictate how information should be collected and how calculations must be carried out.
- PCRs are open to all and provide information on identifying significant environmental aspects. The third-party Program Operator oversees the development of the PCR to provide guidance and verify that ISO requirements have been followed.
- Independent third-parties peer-review the LCA and EPD.
- The EPD is published by the program operator and is often publicly shared by the manufacturer or industry group.
The methodologies for creating and maintaining PCRs, LCAs and EPDs continue to evolve, supporting continuous improvement of their fairness, accuracy and scientific validity.
