LCA or EPD? What Businesses Need to Know
More and more companies want to understand and communicate their products’ environmental impacts in a reliable and transparent way. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) are two key tools for this purpose – but what’s the difference between them, and how do they work together?
What is a Life Cycle Assesment (LCA)?
Life Cycle Assessment is a detailed, standardized method to measure a product’s environmental impacts across its entire life – from raw materials and production to use and disposal.
LCAs follow international standards (ISO 14040 and 14044) to ensure reliable results. They assess factors such as carbon emissions, water consumption, waste, and energy use. Companies use LCAs to identify improvement opportunities and make smarter sustainability decisions, usually for internal use.
Common reasons to conduct an LCA:
- Identify environmental “hotspots” in products or supply chains
- Find ways to cut waste, emissions, or resource use
- Compare materials or design options
Read more: Beginner’s Guide to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Key Concepts and Environmental Impact
What is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)?
An Environmental Product Declaration is a verified and standardized document that clearly communicates a product’s environmental impacts to the public.
EPDs are considered “Type III environmental declarations” and rely on data from an underlying LCA but present the results in a strict format regulated by the ISO 14025.
EPDs follow Product Category Rules (PCRs), which set specific guidelines for different product groups to ensure assessments are consistent and relevant. These rules are created and managed by independent Program Operators. Their role is to make sure the declarations (EPDs) are done consistently and transparently. This oversight helps make results trustworthy and comparable.
They require a third-party verification to guarantee credibility. EPDs make it easier for customers, buyers, and regulators to compare products fairly and support procurement and certifications. Unlike LCAs, EPDs are shared externally, typically published in accessible databases.
Key uses of EPDs are:
- Transparent, independently verified reporting of environmental data
- Easy comparison between similar products*
- Useful documentation for public procurement or certifications
How do LCA and EPD work together?
Every EPD starts with an LCA, but not all LCAs become EPDs.
The LCA provides the detailed research and data analysis, while the EPD packages that information into a publicly available report that meets strict standards.
Together, they form a powerful approach for managing and sharing environmental performance.
Read more: This is how we conducted both LCA calculation and EPD for Nature Line Cutlery
| Feature | LCA | EPD |
| Detailed analysis | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Public disclosure | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Third-party verification | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Standardized reporting format | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Based on ISO standards | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Easy product comparison* | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Internal decision-making tool | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Supports green procurement | ❌ | ✔️ |
*Given they follow comparable methodology, which is regulated by program operators and PCRs according to ISO 14025.
Choosing the right tool for your business
Now that we have clarified the differences between LCA and EPD, could you determine which of these tools best fits your company’s needs?
Our expert team is ready to assist you in understanding and implementing both.
Contact us, and let’s discuss how we can support your business in measuring and communicating your environmental impacts!
