How to Publish EPDs for Your Furniture Products: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to create Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for your furniture products, understand their benefits, and follow a step-by-step guide to publishing them.
Are you considering publishing EPDs for your furniture products?
In this article, you’ll find a precise description of what makes them unique, their benefits and the main steps to create your own EPDs.
What is an EPD?
Definition of EPDs
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardized report that offers a comprehensive evaluation of a product's environmental impact across its entire life cycle. From the extraction of raw materials to the disposal phase, an EPD clearly and transparently quantifies a product’s environmental footprint.
Three elements make EPDs different from other kinds of declarations:
They are based on a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).
They’re verified by a certified third party who reviews the EPD’s underlying data and attests that the document is trustworthy.
They are available publicly, allowing anyone to consult them.
They are neutral and don’t certify whether a product is good or bad; they provide a basis to help people make a decision.
But how did EPDs first appear? And When?
History of EPDs
EPDs are the result of a 2-decade history:
1998: the first EPD program, the Swedish EPD System, was created by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). Initially, the program catered to the needs of the construction industry. It later became The International EPD System.
2006: the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publishes the ISO 14025 standard, which formalized EPDs at an international level.
2013: ECO Platform is founded, bringing together major European EPD program operators to create harmonized EPDs.
This evolution has made EPDs increasingly relevant, not just in construction but also in the furniture industry.
What standards define EPDs?
EPDs are defined by three layers of standards:
ISO 14040 and 14044 set the foundations for Life Cycle Analyses.
The ISO 14025 standard defines the methodology and rules for EPDs.
On top of these two ISO standards, Product Category Rules define more granular rules to follow for a specific category of products. PCRs are specific to an EPD Program Operator (we define what program operators are further in the article).
A photo of the latest PCR for furniture products published by EPD Norge.
Now that we’ve covered the key standards defining EPDs, let’s explore why they matter for furniture brands.
What are the benefits of using EPDs for furniture brands?
Although EPDs are not legally required for furniture companies, they are gaining popularity due to rising B2B expectations and evolving green building standards.
Let's start with the benefits for B2B customers.
1. Benefits for B2B consumers
EPDs can help Business-to-Business (B2B) clients compare the environmental impact of similar products using verified and trustworthy data.
For instance, a company looking to purchase office chairs can compare EPDs to select products with lower environmental impact, aligning with their sustainability goals.
Unfortunately, EPDs are usually considered too complex to be read by B2C consumers.
2. Benefits for businesses
EPDs also come with plenty of benefits for the companies that publish them.
They allow to:
Secure credible communication of your product’s environmental performance. An EPD is third-party verified, which means that your declaration is quality assured, and thus, you can communicate your product’s environmental performance in a secure and credible manner.
Understand your environmental impact and reduce it. An EPD is based on a life cycle analysis that maps out the environmental impact of the product over the entire life cycle of the product. It provides a strong foundation for understanding environmental impact and identifying areas for improvement.
Meet your clients’ requirements, especially those who are following green building standards:
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design): Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED awards credits under the Materials and Resources category for products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Specifically, the "Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Environmental Product Declarations" credit rewards project teams for selecting products from manufacturers that have verified improvements in environmental life-cycle impacts. This credit applies only to "permanently installed products", meaning materials and products that are attached to the building and remain in place for the life of the project. As a result, only specific types of furniture qualify, such as reception desks and built-in shelving (if fixed to walls or floors), custom millwork and casework (e.g., built-in office storage), wall-mounted desks or foldable workstations (if permanently attached), fixed partitions with integrated seating or work surfaces.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method): Developed by the UK-based Building Research Establishment and launched in 1990, it’s one of the world's leading sustainability assessment methods for master planning projects, infrastructure, and buildings. EPDs are recognized as a key component of sustainable material selection and contribute to achieving credits in several BREEAM categories, particularly in Mat 01 – Life Cycle Impacts and Mat 03 – Responsible Sourcing of Materials. While EPDs are encouraged for assessing responsible material sourcing, they only apply to fixed furniture as part of the building (same as in LEED).
The SKA Rating: Created by RICS, a British professional body, it’s a sustainability assessment method for interior fit-outs which includes both fixed and movable furniture in its scoring criteria. Technical Manuals (for Offices, Retail, and Higher Education) provide details on how materials, including furniture, are assessed. SKA doesn’t require EPDs, but they can be used as supporting documentation to prove that a product has a lower environmental impact compared to standard market alternatives.
Where to find real examples of furniture EPDs?
If you’re exploring EPDs for your furniture products and want to see what a real EPD can look like, I recommend checking the EPD library of the International EPD System.
Under "Product Category", select “Furniture & other goods”
Scroll through the list of EPDs.
Screenshot of the Environdec EPD library
How to Create an EPD for Your Furniture Products: Step-by-Step Guide
To generate EPDs for your furniture products, you'll have to go through the following steps.
Step 1: Select a Program Operator (PO)
While EPDs rely on international standards (see more below), they are published by independent organizations called EPD Program Operators (PO).
These organizations are responsible for developing, maintaining, and verifying EPDs.
They ensure that EPDs are consistent, comparable, and independently verified before publication.
Depending on the PO that you pick, the requirements might change so it’s best to start with this step.
Logo of the International EPD System
Step 2: Run your Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
The foundation of every EPD is a detailed LCA, which evaluates the environmental impact of a product from raw material extraction to disposal. This study can be done internally or by an external consultant.
EPD program operators maintain lists of approved LCA experts that you can hire:
EPDs are usually published in English and can be translated into additional languages.
Step 4: Third-Party Verification
The LCA data and the EPD document are reviewed and verified by an independent third party (it can be an independent certifier or an accredited certification body—i.e., a larger company) to ensure accuracy and compliance with international standards.
Once verified, the EPD is registered with an accredited EPD program, such as the International EPD System.
They do a final check before making the EPD publicly available. This process usually takes 1 to 3 days.
You can also publish the EPDs on your own website once they’ve been approved.
After validation by your PO, EPDs are usually valid for 5 years.
Hon, an American furniture company, publishes its EPDs on its website in addition to listing them on its Program Operator's portal, SCS Global Services.
How to pick the right Program Operator to publish your furniture EPDs?
As we've seen earlier, Program Operators are a key player in the publishing of an EPD. So it's important to pick the right PO for your company.
Let's discuss a few tips to help you make the right choice.
EPD program selection criteria
We recommend taking three main criteria into account:
Client preference. If you’re publishing the EPD for a specific client of your company, you might want to check with them if they have a preferred program operator (PO).
Geographical scope. Some operators are international (e.g., The International EPD System), while others focus on regional regulations (e.g., IBU in Germany).
Cost. POs usually charge an annual fee and a publication fee for each EPD that you publish with them. While prices tend to be close, it's a also a factor to take into account.
Best EPD Program Operators for Furniture
When it comes to furniture products, two program operators stand out. Let's take a closer look at them.
Best for: Companies targeting Scandinavian markets.
Why Choose It?
They're well recognized in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.
They work with theNordic Swan Ecolabel and Green Building Certifications.
They have a dedicated PCR for furniture products.
How much does an EPD cost?
Ready to prepare your EPDs? Now, let's look at the costs involved.
The cost of an EPD can be broken down into three components:
The cost of the Life Cycle Analysis. If you hire a consultant, the analysis will likely cost you between €3,000 and €15,000 depending on the complexity of the product you ask to analyze.
The verification cost. Depending on your product, the verification cost is usually between €2,000 and €10,000/product.
The Program Operator fee. For example, the International EPD system charges between €50 and €1,000 per EPD published and a yearly fee that is between €500 and €2,500.
All-in-all, the entire process usually costs between €7,000–€30,000 for one product.
Which furniture companies are publishing EPDs?
During an internal research project, we identified 80 companies worldwide selling furniture and bedding products that have published EPDs.
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