The EPD Pre-Kickoff Checklist
Think of your EPD project like a rocket launch: if the fuel lines (data) clog or the countdown (timeline) drifts, the mission stalls. Use this pre-kickoff checklist to spot gaps early and decide whether to pilot the craft yourself or hire a seasoned ground crew.
Why a Pre-Kickoff Exists
Launching an Environmental Product Declaration without a readiness check is like starting a road trip with no gas gauge. Manufacturer surveys peg the full LCA-to-EPD cycle at six to ten months when teams fly solo (Sustainable Solutions Corporation, 2024). Yet most bidding windows give you far less runway.
The Data Treasure Hunt
An EPD consumes everything from weekly electricity use to the kilometres your product travels. Independent studies put data collection alone at two to three months for a typical product line (Hedgehog Company, 2025). Map owners early: purchasing holds supplier invoices, operations owns scrap rates, R&D guards material recipes.
Manual Ownership vs White-Glove Support
Picture two Mondays. Team A sends forty internal emails chasing kilowatt hours, then spends lunch translating supplier spreadsheets. Team B hands a shared drive to a partner who interviews the plant manager, standardises units and loads everything into the LCA model. By Friday, Team A is still triaging missing shipments, Team B is reviewing impact hotspots. The gap widens every week.
Timeline Reality Check
Third-party review and program-operator approval add fixed time blocks, often eight to twelve weeks, regardless of who crunches numbers. What flexes is the front-end scramble. A partner that specialises in enviromental data can compress the draft-ready phase to mere weeks, freeing precious engineering hours for the next product release.
Regulatory Curveballs
New PCR versions and EN 15941 data-quality rules now carry sunset dates (EPD International, 2025). Skipping the pre-kickoff means you might collect data under an expiring rule set. A white-glove partner can help you pick the suitable PCR.
Your Pre-Kickoff Checklist
- Confirm the governing PCR and its revision deadline.
- List every manufacturing site in scope, with contact names.
- Pull twelve months of utility, material, and outbound freight data (calendar year, not fiscal).
- Capture bill of materials for each SKU, including coatings and packaging.
- Decide who will wrangle supplier questionnaires.
- Block calendar time for internal reviewers and executive sign-off.
Miss one box and the project can slip by weeks.
Clear the Runway
A thorough pre-kickoff turns EPD prep from headache to heads-up display. Choose between doing the legwork yourself or delegating to a crew built for speed and completeness. Either way, start with this checklist, then watch your launch window stay wide open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which internal roles should own each data category before the EPD kickoff?
Utility data usually lives with facility or energy managers, material inputs sit with procurement or inventory control, packaging specs come from logistics, and BOM details remain in R&D or product engineering. Assign names, not departments, so accountability sticks.
How much historical data is enough?
Most PCRs require a recent, representative 12-month period. Using a shorter snapshot risks ‘atypical production’ flags during third-party review (ISO 21930, 2024).
Can we reuse data from last year’s corporate carbon inventory?
Often yes, but only if it matches the functional unit, system boundaries, and allocation rules of the product PCR. Expect some re-formatting before it slips into LCA software.
What happens if the PCR updates mid-project?
If a revised PCR is published before your draft enters external review, you must comply with the new version. A partner who tracks forthcoming sunset dates can save you from expensive rework.
About the Author
Eric works at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and business strategy, helping manufacturers navigate the evolving landscape of EPDs and LCAs. Having spoken with hundreds of teams across North America, brings a deep understanding of what drives ROI, what regulators are asking for, and how companies can stay ahead with smart, scalable approaches to environmental reporting.
