Product Environmental Optimization: LCAs and EPDs

Let our experienced practitioners can analyze the environmental impacts across the life cycle of manufactured goods, processes or services. Whether you need to showcase your product’s environmental benefits, satisfy client requirements or determine how to improve the sustainability of your product, we’ll work to understand your needs and recommend the optimal approach.

We can provide guidance and support through the following services:

• Scoping/screening LCA: This simplified assessment reviews environmental impacts using secondary data. This type of LCA can be useful when a rough estimate is needed in developing a new product or analyzing an industry.
  
• Comprehensive LCA: This comprehensive study takes a deep dive into the environmental impacts of a specific product using primary data. A comprehensive LCA can later be used to develop an EPD (see below), or the results can be published.
  
• Comparative LCA: This powerful tool helps you understand how a product’s environmental impacts compare to those of an equivalent product.
  
• Environmental product declaration (EPD): EPDs summarize the comprehensive results of an LCA following the rules of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and any specific Product Category Rule (PCR)*. EPDs, primarily used in the building products industry, are fast becoming requirements for LEED® and government projects.
  
• Material analysis: Using the results of an LCA, our experts analyze and model potential product changes that can improve environmental impacts.

*No PCR exists for your product? NSF’s Standards group can create one.