An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is the most credible way a manufacturer can demonstrate the environmental performance of their product. Based on a full life cycle assessment and independently verified before publication, it gives clients, specifiers and procurement teams verified data they can use, not marketing claims they have to take on trust.

---

Why EPDs are becoming harder to avoid

EPDs are not yet universally required in the UK, but the pressure to have one is coming from multiple directions simultaneously. BREEAM credits increasingly depend on verified product EPDs. Public sector procurement above £5 million requires Carbon Reduction Plans, and an EPD is often the only credible way to back up the product-level claims within one. National Highways expects its supply chain to implement PAS 2080 carbon management systems, which pushes demand for verified product data down to manufacturers. The RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment standard, which came into full effect in July 2024, makes verified EPDs the preferred data source for embodied carbon calculations.

In Europe the picture is sharper. The recast EU Construction Products Regulation, in force from January 2025, requires quantifiable environmental data under Article 22 based on EN 15804. Steel and concrete are first in scope, with the mandate extending progressively through to around 2040. For manufacturers selling into European markets, the window to get ahead of this is now.

The practical consequence is straightforward. Clients who require EPD data in tender submissions will look elsewhere if you cannot provide one. Getting an EPD takes three to six months, waiting until a contract requires it is already too late.

---

What an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is

An EPD is a Type III environmental declaration under ISO 14025, meaning it reports verified environmental data without making value judgements about whether a product is good or bad. That independence is what makes it trusted. It covers environmental impacts across multiple categories, including global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, resource depletion and water use, measured across the relevant life cycle stages from raw material extraction through to end of life.

For construction products, EPDs for Europe follow EN 15804+A2 alongside ISO 14025, with the underlying LCA conducted to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, whilst for outside Europe they also use ISO 21930 for construction products. Each EPD is produced against a Product Category Rule (PCR) that sets the specific methodology for that product type, ensuring that EPDs for comparable products are genuinely comparable. The completed EPD is verified by an independent third party before registration and publication.

EPDs are valid for five years, after which they require renewal. Given that product formulations, energy sources and supply chains change, renewal is also an opportunity to reflect genuine improvements in environmental performance.

---

EPD consultancy services from Below280

Below280 is a provider of EPDs, working with manufacturers across the UK, Europe, China and Latin America. Our core expertise is in composites and polymer-based construction products. Below280 manages the full EPD process: data collection, LCA modelling, EPD documentation, coordination with the verifier, and registration with EPD International. We work through the detail with you, because the quality of the underlying data is what determines whether the EPD is genuinely useful or just a document that exists.

Where we register

We register EPDs with EPD International (the International EPD System), one of the largest and most widely recognised programme operators globally. EPDs registered there are accepted across European markets, recognised under BREEAM, and carry the ECO Platform mark that facilitates mutual recognition across European EPD programmes. For specific market requirements, we can also advise on registration with other programme operators including IBU (Germany) and EPD Hub.

Global coverage

We provide EPD services globally. We have an associate in China who conducts site visits to Chinese manufacturing facilities, and our UK team covers Europe and Latin America directly. We treat site visits as essential, understanding a manufacturing process in person produces significantly better data than working from spreadsheets alone. Our team includes speakers of Portuguese, Spanish, French, Polish, German, Mandarin and English.

---

The EPD process

A typical EPD project runs three to six months, depending on the complexity of the product and the availability of manufacturing data. The steps are:

1. Scoping – defining the product, system boundary, applicable PCR and programme operator.
2. Data collection – working with your team to gather materials, energy, transport and waste data at the required level of detail.
3. LCA modelling – building the life cycle model in openLCA against the relevant background databases.
4. EPD drafting – preparing the EPD document in line with PCR requirements and programme operator templates.
5. Third-party verification – coordinating the independent review of the LCA report and EPD document.
6. Registration and publication – submitting to EPD International and publishing the final verified EPD.

---

Composites EPD expertise

Our strongest sector specialism is composites, including glass-reinforced polymer (GRP), carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP), unsaturated polyester resins, and epoxy systems. We not only provide EPDs for composite materials but have also undertaken research on the LCA of various materials for wind turbine blades.

Scott Bader: Crystic Resin U1037T

We produced the EPD for Scott Bader’s Crystic Resin U1037T, an unsaturated polyester resin used for cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) UV rehabilitation. CIPP is a no-dig repair technology that forms a new pipe within an existing damaged pipe. The EPD covers the resin manufactured at their Amiens, France facility. Registered with EPD International under EPD-IES-0019717.

Elemy Group: GRP grating

We produced the EPD for Elemy Group’s glass reinforced polymer grating, manufactured via a moulding process and used for open mesh flooring, walkways and mezzanine areas. GRP grating is a widely used alternative to steel, and the EPD covers production across UK and China manufacturing locations. Registered with EPD International under EPD-IES-0025148.

---

EPD standards we work to

• ISO 14025:2006 — the overarching standard for Type III environmental declarations.
• EN 15804:2012+A2:2019/AC:2021 — the European standard setting product category rules for construction products.
• ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 — the life cycle assessment standards underpinning the EPD.
• ISO 21930 — the international equivalent to EN 15804 for construction products outside Europe.

---

Who needs an EPD

Manufacturers supplying construction projects

If your products go into buildings, infrastructure or civil engineering works, your clients are increasingly asking for EPDs. Having one ready shortens the procurement conversation and removes a blocker that your competitors may not have resolved yet.

Exporters into European markets

The EU Construction Products Regulation now requires quantifiable environmental data under EN 15804 for in-scope products. Starting now avoids a last-minute scramble when the enforcement timeline tightens.

Manufacturers pursuing BREEAM or LEED credits

EPDs contribute directly to BREEAM Mat 01 and Mat 02 credits and to LEED materials credits. Specifiers working on certified projects actively seek products with verified EPDs, particularly where lower embodied carbon can be demonstrated.

Supply chains under ESG pressure

Where large clients are accounting for Scope 3 emissions, they need product-level data from their supply chain. A verified EPD is the most credible way to provide it.

---

Talk to us about your EPD

The first conversation usually focuses on understanding your product,target markets, and current deadlines. Please get in touch with Below280 to see what we can do for you.