EPD & LCA Services

A Product Category Rule (PCR) specifies how an EPD must be developed for a given product category. It defines critical requirements such as system boundaries (e.g., cradle-to-gate), the declared unit, allocation rules, required impact categories and reporting modules, and data quality expectations. Using the correct PCR for your product type ensures that the EPD follows the methodological and reporting rules required by program operators and regulators. If an incorrect or inappropriate PCR is used, the EPD may not meet program operator requirements and could be rejected for regulatory or procurement purposes.

The DPP proposed under the Construction Product Regulation (CPR) is designed to link verified environmental data, product declarations and regulatory information to a digital identifier (for example a QR code or unique ID). The goal is to make product information machine-readable and readily accessible to contractors, specifiers and regulators so they can quickly view a product’s verified environmental data, EPD status, and compliance documentation. The DPP’s emphasis on structured, verified and digitally accessible data is expected to accelerate digital reporting practices and influence global market expectations for product information.

EPDs are commonly valid for five years, but they must be updated sooner if material or process changes alter the product’s environmental profile. Typical triggers for re-issue of ready-mix concrete EPDs, for example, include changing cement or SCM sources, significant alterations to SCM ratios or mix formulations, or a change in energy supply or major process changes. Such changes can materially affect declared carbon impacts — often by double digits depending on the scale of the change. Always consult the relevant PCR and program operator rules to confirm re-issue and re-verification requirements.

Check the EPD for the following items:

• Verifier identity and status: The verifier’s name and contact details, and whether they are independent and accepted by the issuing program operator.
• Program operator registration: A program operator declaration or registration/ID number showing that the EPD is registered with an accepted program operator.

If these elements are missing or unclear, the EPD may not meet the acceptance criteria used by procurement programs, rating systems, or regulatory frameworks.

An EPD’s reliability depends on the quality and relevance of the underlying life cycle assessment and the rigor of the verification process. Key factors include:

• Data source: Actual plant records (batch logs, QC, supplier invoices) and supplier-specific upstream data are preferable to generic or templated values.
• Representative time frame: A period that captures typical production and seasonal variation (commonly 12 months) rather than one-off or theoretical snapshots.
• Verification: Independent third-party review by a verifier accepted by the EPD program operator, with a verification statement recorded on the EPD.
• PCR alignment: Use of the correct Product Category Rule for the product type (e.g., ready-mix concrete, precast, cement). The PCR defines system boundaries, declared unit, allocation rules and required impact categories and ensures that reporting follows a standard methodology.
• Data quality: Completeness, consistency, transparency, and traceability of inventory data, together with documented allocation methods and system boundaries in line with ISO 14040/14044.

Owners, project teams, and regulators increasingly require verified product- or mix-level EPDs because they need detailed, documented information rather than high-level estimates.

Programs and standards — for example Buy Clean California, LEED v5, BREEAM, and CalGreen updates — are moving toward requirements for PCR-aligned, third-party verified, mix- or product-level declarations.

In Europe, revisions to the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and the upcoming Digital Product Passport (DPP) are driving mandatory product-level environmental reporting. Producers that already issue product-specific, verified EPDs will be better positioned to meet these reporting and compliance expectations when digital reporting becomes routine.

There are two distinct axes to classify EPDs: (1) manufacturing specificity (industry-average / manufacturer-average / facility-specific), and (2) product specificity (product-average / product-specific).

• Industry-average (aka sector-average) EPDs aggregate data from multiple producers or plants to represent a typical product in a region or sector. They’re useful for benchmarking and early planning but can smooth over plant- or mix-level differences.
• Manufacturer-average EPDs average data across multiple facilities of a single manufacturer.
• Facility-specific EPDs report the manufacturing data for a single site.
• Product-average EPDs cover a group of similar products and are allowed only when the products’ impacts are sufficiently similar.
• Product-specific EPDs report impacts for a single product and are generally preferred for procurement and as-built modeling.

Why it matters: product- and facility-specific EPDs document the actual materials, processes, and regional inputs used to make a product and are therefore the right choice where procurement and compliance considerations are needed.

Important: product-specific EPDs are more representative for procurement, but EPDs should not be used as direct numeric rankings unless the comparatibility criteria are met.