The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is an internationally recognized summary report used to transparently communicate the environmental performance of your products and services based on life cycle assessment (LCA). EPDs distill complicated information to empower your customers, architects and designers, procurement agents and consumers to make informed decisions.
SCS Global Services is a leading LCA practitioner and third-party certifier of environmental claims. We developed the world's first EPDs, and understand the importance of getting the science right while remaining cost-effective. Choose from existing Product Category Rules (PCRs) or take advantage of the most advanced LCA science to obtain the environmental information you need.
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A trusted third-party certifier and LCA practitioner for nearly three decades, SCS brings credibility to your EPD by using the most advanced LCA science.
The level of accuracy and transparency you get from your EPD depends on two things: 1) the rigor of the life cycle assessment (LCA) performed, and 2) the Product Category Rules (PCR) used.
Choose the Most Comprehensive LCA
The most advanced LCAs today are site-specific and comprehensive. Use of site-specific data reveals important differences between products that would otherwise go unnoticed, and prevents reporting of "phantom" impacts that do not really exist. Reporting of all applicable environmental and human health impact categories ensures that advantages and disadvantages between two product choices can be correctly analyzed. A new American National Standard based on almost 20 years of development (LEO-SCS-002), currently in draft form and undergoing public review, captures the state-of-the-art in LCA practice, augmenting the international LCA standard (ISO-14044) to ensure the highest quality results.
Choose the Most Applicable PCRs
The international standard governing EPDs (ISO 14025) requires that EPDs be prepared in accordance with specific Product Category Rules (PCRs). However, many of the PCRs in use today require that findings for only a subset of environmentally relevant impact categories be reported. This reflects the fact that not all PCRs have been developed in an open, multi-stakeholder process. A new direction in PCR development is to require input from stakeholders to ensure that findings tell the whole life cycle story.
Ask us about the best EPD options to suit your needs.
In addition to EPDs, SCS offers a full suite of life cycle assessment services, including comparative LCAs, Whole Building LCAs, Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) certification and more.
Apply for Service
Complete and submit the application form.
Choose Product Category Rules (PCRs)
We review the information provided in your application and work with you to determine whether Product Category Rules (PCRs) have been established that are relevant to your product. If PCRs do not exist, SCS can help to create those PCRs through the ANSI LCA standards committee.
Authorize a Proposal and Work Order
SCS prepares a proposal and work order for your approval outlining the scope of work, timeline and price quote.
Fill out the Data Request Form (DRF)
SCS customizes a DRF for you to complete. An LCA account manager provides support and answers any questions to ensure proper data is collected.
Life Cycle Assessment
Once SCS receives the completed DRF, we conduct a life cycle assessment on your product. If an LCA already exists for your product, we verify the LCA and update the study accordingly to ensure that the LCA meets the requirements of the PCRs.
Build EPD
SCS works with you to build an EPD, incorporating the results of the LCA and any other information required in a market-ready format.
Internal EPD Verification
SCS turns over the EPD to a separate internal team to verify the EPD, compliant with ISO 14025.
Publish EPD
Once the EPD is complete and verified, SCS publishes the EPD and adds it to the SCS EPD library.
EPD results are reported for those impact categories that are applicable and environmentally relevant for your product. They are drawn from the following complete list below, or from the relevant PCR. Read this PDF to learn more about each category.
Certification of your EPD by SCS means that you can: