I’m trying to create an EPD for one of our products. An EPD already exists from our supplier for a generic version of the product. Because they’ve used an average product, the declared unit values won’t match our product and I’m wondering what my options are if I am unable to get hold of the raw data from the supplier:
I think I can create a white-label EPD according to the PCR rules? How does that work - do you just add that EPD under A1 materials and then is there an option to say it’s white-label during submission, do I have to declare it as white-label? The PCR rules say it has to be identical results but should include A4, so presumably the results aren’t entirely identical if you’re adding extra information?
Am I able to scale up the EPD somehow so that the mass of the declared unit of our product matches that of the EPD? Or would I have to do that using a sister variant once I’d created a white-label EPD?
Thanks, any info is appreciated as there is nothing that I can see in the PCR rules or oneclick’s help/community sites.
Thank you for posting - white label EPDs is an interesting topic!
While more details would be needed to address your specific situation, here are three potential options for creating your EPD based on the existing supplier data:
White label EPD: The manufacturer of the product (your supplier) creates EPDs for multiple brands. In your case, you would need to ask your supplier to create an additional EPD specifically for your brand.
Parent EPD based on supplier data: Your supplier provides all the data from their LCA for you to create your own EPD. You might also need to add data for your specific packaging, any A3 processing, A4 transport to your customers, and any other relevant modules.
Parent EPD based on supplier EPD: You can use your supplier’s EPD in A1 and add your own data for any additional relevant stages. If you receive this product to your own warehouse, you would include data for A2 and A3 (for e.g., warehousing, re-packaging). If you sell your product directly from your supplier and you don’t have a warehouse or any other process, then a white label EPD can be the best option.
Regarding your other questions:
Scaling up the EPD: Whether you can directly scale up the EPD so that the mass of the declared unit of your product matches that of the supplier’s EPD depends on the type of product and the declared unit used in the original EPD. However, please be aware that sometimes scaling is not an acceptable method for creating an accurate EPD due to non-linear environmental impacts and potential differences in product specifics.
Sister variant EPD: Yes, creating a sister variant EPD is a possibility once you have established your parent EPD. A sister variant would typically represent a product within the same family but with slight variations.
I hope this clarifies your options and the related considerations. If you need more specific advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.