What Data You Need To Prepare For An EPD
An EPD moves as fast as your data is ready. Pull the right files early and the path from kickoff to a third‑party verified, spec‑ready declaration gets a lot smoother. Miss a few essentials and the project stalls while teams chase spreadsheets, utility bills, and supplier confirmations. Here is the practical checklist and context to make your first EPD feel like a tidy pit stop, not a teardown.
Begin with the rulebook: PCR and scope
A Product Category Rule sets the boundaries for your LCA and the EPD that follows. Think of it as the Monopoly rulebook, ignore it and the game falls apart. Confirm the PCR, functional or declared unit, and the life‑cycle boundary you will report.
Define the product precisely
Lock the product name, SKU family, and what is included in the system. Note finishes, densities, thickness ranges, and any region‑specific variants. If multiple SKUs share one recipe, document how they differ so the EPD can represent them faithfully.
The recipe that really ships
Provide the current bill of materials by mass percent at the plant level. List each input with supplier name, location, and whether recycled or bio‑based content applies. Capture any in‑process consumables like adhesives, release agents, or solvents that do not appear on the final label.
Utilities and energy, plant by plant
Gather monthly electricity and fuel data for the reference period, plus meter IDs, tariffs, and evidence of renewable contracts or on‑site generation. Note grid location so the LCA uses the right emission factors. Include compressed air, steam, chilled water, and process heat if applicable.
Production volumes, yield, and allocation
Report total good output, scrap and rework, and uptime for the same period. Flag co‑products or multi‑output lines so allocation rules can be applied cleanly. A brief process map helps the verifier understand where energy and materials flow.
Inbound materials and outbound shipping
For each key input, record distance, mode, and typical shipment size from supplier to plant. Do the same from plant to customer or distribution center, including packaging and load factors. Mode matters for impact, road freight is generally more carbon‑intensive per tonne‑kilometer than ocean shipping (UK Government GHG Conversion Factors, 2024).
Packaging and auxiliaries
List primary and secondary packaging by mass and material. Include pallets, wraps, corner boards, labels, inks, and strapping. Note any reuse or take‑back practice that changes end‑of‑life assumptions.
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Water, chemicals, and waste handling
Provide water intake and discharge volumes, plus treatment method and destination. Document hazardous and non‑hazardous waste by type, mass, and fate such as recycling, landfill, or energy recovery. Keep SDS sheets handy for process chemicals.
Scenario inputs for installation and end of life
If your PCR calls for A4, A5, and C modules, collect realistic scenarios. Typical needs include installation waste rate, ancillary materials used on site, common replacement intervals if a reference service life is declared, and the most likely disposal routes.
Evidence that speeds verification
Save reciepts, utility bills, ERP exports, and inventory snapshots as PDFs or CSVs. Screenshots are fine for quick checks, but verifiers prefer raw files with dates and totals. A short data dictionary that defines columns saves everyone time later.
Supplier data that upgrades your model
When key inputs already have product‑specific EPDs, share them. If not, capture supplier locations and recycled content so high‑quality secondary datasets can be selected. Ask suppliers for their own reference year and any energy contracts so assumptions line up.
New or recently launched products
If a product has only been running a short time, agree a prospective approach that uses an initial operating window, then plan a refresh once a full reference year is available. Verifiers generally accept this when the PCR and operator guidance allow it.
Data quality, currency, and completeness
Document the reference period and any known anomalies such as planned shutdowns or trial runs. Note measurement methods, sampling frequency, and whether figures are direct metered or estimated. Clear notes reduce back‑and‑forth during review.
Why this data moves revenue
Projects increasingly compare embodied carbon alongside price, schedule, and performance. The buildings sector accounts for roughly 37 percent of energy and process‑related CO₂ emissions globally, which keeps material transparency under a bright light (GlobalABC, 2024). Having a product‑specific, verified EPD prevents penalty assumptions in bids and helps teams stay on shortlists.
A quick start file list
- Latest PCR title and version, plus chosen declared unit
- Product BoM with mass percents and supplier locations
- Plant utilities by month, fuels by type, and meter evidence
- Production totals, scrap, and co‑product notes for the same period
- Inbound and outbound transport distances and modes
- Packaging breakdown and waste logs with destinations
Choosing help that actually removes work
Look for a partner that runs white‑glove data collection across plants, shapes clean LCAs, and publishes with your preferred operator such as Smart EPD in the United States or IBU in Europe. The best fits are platform‑driven and detail‑obsessed, so your experts can stay focused on operations while the paperwork gets handled with speed, ease, quality and completeness. That is how an EPD becomes a sales asset, not a side project.
Tieing it all together
If you can describe what you make, where you make it, how you power it, and how it travels, you already have 90 percent of what an LCA practitioner needs. Gather those facts once, keep them organized, and refresh on a predictable cadence. The rest is translation into the EPD format, which is our bread and butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much data history do we need for an EPD reference period?
Aim for a recent, consecutive 12‑month period for production, energy, water, waste, and logistics to align with common PCR expectations. Some operators allow shorter windows for new products when documented in advance, then require an update once a full year is available.
Do we need supplier EPDs for every input material?
No. They help, especially for high‑impact inputs, but high‑quality secondary datasets are acceptable when supplier EPDs are not available. Provide supplier locations and recycled content so the LCA can select appropriate datasets.
What if our product has multiple SKUs and options?
You can often group similar variants in one EPD using a representative or worst‑case approach defined by the PCR. Document recipe differences and dimensions clearly so the verifier can confirm representativeness.
Are packaging and installation materials in scope?
Usually yes, when the PCR includes A5 installation or requires packaging in A1–A3. List materials, masses, and typical disposal routes.
How often must EPDs be renewed?
Most program operators set a validity period of around five years, after which an update and new verification are needed. Check the specific program rules for your chosen operator.
About the Author
Walker Ryan is a climate-tech entrepreneur focused on driving industrial decarbonization through better data. As the founder and CEO of Parq, he helps manufacturers generate high-quality, third-party–verified carbon disclosures at scale—accelerating a traditionally slow and expensive process. Before starting Parq, Walker led over $200 million in sustainability-focused investments as VP of Strategy & Growth at ReStream Solutions, following earlier experience in investment banking at Deutsche Bank. He brings a rare mix of capital markets expertise and hands-on sustainability knowledge to tackling the infrastructure of industrial emissions.
