Environmental Declaration
A declaration that indicates the product meets environmental friendliness criteria during all of its lifecycles.
An increasing number of products have an eco-label. So, what’s its purpose? This label indicates that the product meets environmental friendliness criteria during its complete lifecycle, including manufacturing, use, marketing and at the end of its useful life.
This label attracts customers, who feel more responsible buying such products and opt for them since they align with their environmental values. Yes, eco-labels encourage continuous sustainability and improvement.
Eco-labeling systems
According to ISO standards, there are 3 systems to obtain an eco-label:
- Type I: is a voluntary environmental qualification system that officially identifies and certifies that certain products or services have minor environmental impact, taking into account their entire life cycle. Ecolabels are granted by an independent third party (such as the administration), which acts as a certifying entity. This system complies with the specific ISO 14024 requirements.
- Type II: are obtained from environmental self-declarations. The environmental indication (logo, text) is endorsed by the manufacturer or packager itself, and normally refers to the life-cycle stage or a specific aspect of the product (e.g. that it’s "biodegradable", "recyclable", etc.). There is no independent third-party certification involved in this system. It must also meet specific ISO 14021 requirements.
- Type III : a document is based on a full life-cycle analysis, and carried out in accordance with ISO 14040. Its analysis demonstrates quantified environmental parameters. All of the information displayed in this type of document must be understandable and verified by an independent third party and also comply with ISO 14025.
What you need to know about Type III Environmental Declarations
As previously mentioned, type III Environmental Declarations show quantified environmental information about the product life-cycle, and thus allows us to compare products that fulfill the same function. Type III environmental declarations are:
- Provided by one or more organizations.
- Based on independent verification of life cycle analysis (LCA) data.
- Developed using predetermined parameters.
- Subject to management by a program manager.
Primarily intended for business-to-business communication. Their use in business-to-consumer communication is not ruled out.
Environmental Performance Indicators
These are some of the environmental impacts that should be taken into account when elaborating a Type III Environmental Statement.
| Inicial | Category | Factor | Unit of measurement |
| GWP – total | Global Warming Potential – total | Full global warming potential. | Kg CO²-eq. |
| GWP – fossil | Global Warming Potential – fossils | Biogenic global warming potential. | Kg CO²-eq. |
| GWP – biogenic | Global Warming Potential - biogenic | Global warming potential due to fossil fuels. | Kg CO²-eq. |
| GWP – LULUC | Global Warming Potential - Land Use and Land-Use Changes | Global warming potential due to land use and land-use changes. | Kg CO²-eq. |
| ODP | Ozone Depletion Potential | Global warming potential due to stratospheric ozone depletion. | Kg CFC 11 eq. |
| AP | Acidification Potential | Acidification potential due to an accumulated excess. | mol H+ eq. |
| EP – freshwater | Eutrophication Potential -freshwater | Eutrophication potential, a fraction of nutrients reach the final freshwater compartment. | Kg P eq. |
| EP - marine | Eutrophication Potential –marine | Eutrophication potential, a fraction of nutrients reach the final compartment of marine water. | Kg N eq. |
| EP – terrestrial | Eutrophication Potential – terrestrial | Eutrophication Potential due to cumulative terrestrial excess. | mol N eq. |
| POCP | Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential | Potential for Photochemical Tropospheric ozone formation. | Kg NMVOC eq. |
| ADP –minerals & metals | Abiotic Depletion Potential for minerals and metals | Abiotic depletion potential for non-fossil resources) | Kg Sb-Eq. |
| ADP – fossil | Abiotic Depletion Potential for fossil fuels | Abiotic Depletion Potential for fossil fuels | MJ, net heating value |
| WDP | Water Deprivation Potential | Water Deprivation Potential for consumers | M3 worldwide private eq. |
| PM | Particulate Matter | Potential incidence of diseases due to particulate matter emissions. | Incidence of Disease/s |
| IR | Ionizing radiation, human health. | Exposure efficiency of the human potential relative to U235. | KBq U235 eqv. |
| ETP fw |
Ecotoxicity Potential (freshwater) |
Ecotoxicity Potential in Freshwater ecosystems | CTUe |
| HTP-c | Human toxicity Potential - carcinogens effects | Comparative ecosystem toxic unit potential (carcinogenic effects) | CTUh |
| HTP-nc | Human toxicity Potential – non-carcinogens effects | Comparative ecosystem toxic unit potential (non-carcinogenic effects) | CTUh |
| SQP | Impacts related to land use / soil quality | Soil quality potential index | Dimensionless |
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
EPDs fall into Type III Environmental Declarations. If you wish to obtain this type of declaration, our certification team is well-prepared to help you throughout the entire process.
EPD environmental information should cover all life-cycle stages; modules should subdivide into the following:
- A1-A3 Product stage
- A4-A5 Construction Process Stage
- B1-B7 Use stage
- C1-C4 End-of-life stage
- D Benefits and burdens beyond system boundaries.
We can provide the following EPDs:
- Cradle to Gate* with modules C1-C4 and D (A1-A3 + C + D).
- Cradle to Gate* with modules C1-C4 and D (A1-A3 + C + D + additional modules). A4, A5 or B1-B7 modules could also be included.
- Cradle to Grave* and module D (A + B + C + D)
- Cradle to Gate (A1-A3)
- Cradle to Gate with options (A1-A3 and additional modules). A4 and/or A5 modules can be included
*These concepts are explained in the infographic below:
