How to Build Successful LCAs and EPDs

Successful Life Cycle Assessments and Environmental Product Declarations both start with high-quality data and support United States Green Building Council’s LEED v5 Materials and Resources requirements. Let’s look at gathering data, the LCA consultant’s role and the importance of third-party verification.

Diving into the data lake

“Data lakes” describe large stores of operational and manufacturing information. In LCA development, though, the process can feel less like a lake and more like a murky pond — one that must be waded through, cleaned, categorized and converted into consistent units before being usable. This work requires close collaboration between manufacturing teams, subject matter experts and the EPD Program Operator.

Mapping a product's life cycle, from raw material extraction to finished product shipment, means tracking material inputs, transportation impacts, energy consumption, water usage, process chemicals and waste generation at every stage.

A fenestration manufacturer, for instance, might source aluminum billets, fabricate steel dies, apply cleaning chemicals, heat billets for extrusion and use water for cooling. Each has an environmental input to quantify, along with the distance, mode and fuel type behind every shipment to the facility.

Balancing what goes in and out

At the heart of good data collection is mass balancing for what goes in and what goes out. This confirms every input – raw materials, energy, water, chemicals – is accounted for in the outputs – finished product, scrap, wastewater, emissions, waste.

For example, an aluminum extruder would need to track scrap from extrusion tailings, machining cut-offs, finishing wastewater and anodizing sludge. If the inputs don’t match the outputs, the model isn’t accurate.

Build the system before you need it

The most common mistake manufacturers make is trying to reconstruct a year’s worth of data after an EPD project has already begun. This approach almost always produces incomplete records, inconsistent units and blown timelines. The better path is to build a tracking system in advance:

• Identify the data points needed at each production step
• Assign subject matter experts to own specific datasets
• Standardize units and conversions
• Review completeness periodically throughout the year

The final step

A modeled LCA and drafted EPD aren’t the finish line. Independent third-party verification against the applicable Product Category Rule, ISO 14025 and ISO 21930 is required before publication.

Engage a verifier early, at least six weeks before the LCA needs to be complete, and plan for at least one full review cycle of questions and revisions. Even in the best case, verification typically takes four weeks or more, and most programs charge upwards of $1,000 per EPD for annual maintenance. A handoff meeting between consultant and verifier, and a shared understanding of documentation requirements, will help keep this final stretch on schedule.

The payoff

An EPD built on disciplined data collection and coordination doesn’t just move faster – it endures over the long run. Once published, an EPD becomes more than a sustainability document. It demonstrates transparency, strengthens credibility with architects and specifiers, supports green building programs, and positions manufacturers to meet growing customer and regulatory expectations.