Construction sealant PCRs without the headache
Sealant teams face a tricky fork in the road. Do you use a European EN 15804 path with a complementary rule for technical‑chemical products, or wait for the refreshed North American PCR for adhesives and sealants under ISO 21930? Meanwhile, specifiers still expect product‑specific Type III EPDs, and timelines shift as PCRs update. This guide maps the real options, what changed in 2025, and how to pick a rulebook that speeds publication without painting you into a corner.
What a sealant PCR actually does
A PCR is the rulebook of Monopoly, ignore it and the game falls apart. For construction sealants, the PCR defines system boundaries, datasets, allocation, scenarios, and how impacts are reported. The two umbrella standards behind most PCRs are EN 15804 for Europe and ISO 21930 for North America, both built on ISO 14025 (ISO 21930, 2017).
The two active paths manufacturers use
One path is EN 15804 through the International EPD System’s Construction Products PCR 2019:14, often paired with the complementary rule for technical‑chemical products that covers sealants and similar formulations. That PCR moved from version 1.3.4 to version 2.0.0 with a formal transition set around June 20, 2025, and a new validity horizon announced into 2030 (EPD International, 2024) (EPD Australasia, 2025).
The other path is a North American PCR under ISO 21930 specific to adhesives and sealants. UL’s prior Sealants PCR reached its expiration on April 30, 2025, and the Adhesive and Sealant Council announced an update effort with Smart EPD to deliver the next edition for construction use (UL Solutions, 2025) (Adhesive and Sealant Council, 2025).
How to pick the right rulebook
Follow what your specifiers and competitors use, then sanity‑check timing. If key rivals publish EN 15804 EPDs referencing the technical‑chemical c‑PCR, using the same approach usually helps comparability. If your market is North America and buyers explicitly want a North American PCR, track the ASC process timeline and plan for that path or publish now via EN 15804 and migrate at renewal.
If your PCR is expired, is the EPD dead
No. An EPD remains valid until its own expiry. At the next renewal, you must align with the current PCR version or a suitable alternative. The 2019:14 transition confirmed that existing EPDs stayed valid while the new version rolled out, which programs also reiterated in 2025 communications (EPD International, 2024) (EPD Australasia, 2025).
What scope usually fits sealants
Cradle to gate with options is common for factory‑made sealants. A1 to A3 capture raw materials, formulation, and energy. A4 covers transport to site, and A5 can be material for sealants because packaging, primers, and installation waste shift results. If your product has notable upkeep or replacement, include B stages with realistic service life and joint movement assumptions. End‑of‑life scenarios should reflect typical removal routes, even if mass is small compared to structural materials.
Data to gather once, reuse everywhere
Pull one recent reference year and get it right, then reuse across SKUs where permitted. You will likely recieve requests for the same fields again and again.
- Full bill of materials with CAS‑level granularity and typical ranges
- Energy by carrier at each plant, water use, and direct emissions
- Packaging types and weights, palletization, and loading factors
- Yield per cartridge or pail, primer rates, and installation waste
- Outbound transport modes and distances by market
- EHS constraints that affect scenarios, for example flammability or curing
Timelines and moving targets to watch in 2025
The International EPD System confirmed the shift from 2019:14 v1.3.4 to v2.0.0 with the old version phased out on June 20, 2025, and subsequent maintenance updates in mid 2025 (EPD International, 2025). UL’s North American Sealants PCR shows an expiration of April 30, 2025, and ASC publicly launched the update with Smart EPD on June 20, 2025, so watch committee and draft windows if you prefer ISO 21930 alignment from day one (UL Solutions, 2025) (Adhesive and Sealant Council, 2025).
LEED v5 is live and was ratified by USGBC members on March 28, 2025. Product‑specific, third‑party verified EPDs remain part of the Materials and Resources structure, so publishing now still supports project teams, regardless of whether your EPD follows EN 15804 or ISO 21930 conventions (USGBC, 2025).
Practical selection cues that save time
Pick the rule set that matches your biggest sales region and your near‑term publication window. If your program operator preference is Smart EPD in the US or IBU in Europe, both can work, and your LCA partner should be operator‑agnostic so you are free to choose. Make sure they handle the messy part of data collection across plants, otherwise your engineers lose weeks chasing meters and inventories that a white‑glove team can organize in days.
Sealant PCRs, without the guesswork
Sealant PCRs are not a maze if you start with the end in mind. Decide where your EPD needs to win specifications, mirror the market’s dominant path, and account for 2025’s version shifts in your schedule. A clean data package plus a clear operator plan usually trims months from publication, which is the real currency when a bid or spec slot is waiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which PCR should a construction sealant manufacturer use for an EPD right now?
Two viable choices exist. Use EN 15804 with PCR 2019:14 and the technical‑chemical c‑PCR that covers sealants, or use a North American ISO 21930 PCR once ASC’s update with Smart EPD is released. If speed to market matters, EN 15804 is available today across major operators, and you can switch at renewal.
Does an EPD become invalid when its underlying PCR version expires?
No. An EPD remains valid until the EPD’s own expiry date, then it must renew under the current PCR. This was reiterated during the 2019:14 transition in 2024 to 2025 updates.
Will a sealant EPD still count for LEED v5?
Yes. LEED v5 continues to reward product‑specific, third‑party verified Type III EPDs within the MR framework. Both EN 15804 and ISO 21930 aligned EPDs are commonly accepted on projects.
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.
