EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) for textiles

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is the internationally standardised Type III environmental declaration according to ISO 14025. It summarises the results of a life cycle assessment (ISO 14040/14044) in a verified document and makes the environmental impacts of a specific product — from raw material extraction to disposal — quantitatively comparable. Unlike self-declared eco labels (Type II), an EPD is always verified by an independent third party.

A prerequisite is a Product Category Rule (PCR), which for each product category defines the system boundaries, indicators and functional unit to use — only this makes EPDs from different manufacturers comparable. For textiles and apparel there are PCRs under the International EPD System (Sweden), IBU (Germany, focused on interior/construction textiles) and EPD Norge; the European Construction Products Regulation requires EPDs to EN 15804 as a basis. Published metrics typically include GWP (kg CO₂-eq), water consumption, primary energy (renewable/non-renewable), ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication and waste flows. An EPD is normally valid for five years. It is not an eco rating but a transparency document: buyers must compare the figures themselves. In B2B sales to sustainability-focused brands (sport, hospitality, public procurement) it is increasingly mandatory.

• Standard base: ISO 14025 (Type III), ISO 14040/14044 (LCA), EN 15804 (construction)
• Verification: independent third party, typical validity 5 years
• PCR: Product Category Rule mandatory per product category
• Programme operators: International EPD System, IBU, EPD Norge