Comparing EPD, DPP, LCA, and PCF: What Retail Sustainability Managers Need to Know

As a sustainability manager in retail, you’re likely hearing these acronyms more and more. While they each serve different purposes, they all have one thing in common:

They aim to measure, communicate, and improve the environmental impact of the products you sell.

In short, they’re all tools to help you make better sourcing decisions, build shopper trust, and stay ahead of regulations. Let’s break down what sets them apart—and how they work together.

PUBLISHED: 11 July  2025

Table of contents

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment): The Analytical Backbone

  • A comprehensive analysis of a product’s environmental impacts from raw materials to end-of-life.

  • What it is: The deep dive powering all other claims.

For retail: Identify supply chain hotspots, guide supplier choices, and design more sustainable products.

EPD (Environmental Product Declaration): The Verified Story for Customers and Buyers

  • A standardized, third-party verified document summarizing LCA results. 
  • What it is: Your credible “report card” for environmental impact.

For retail: Share EPDs with B2B buyers, use them in marketing, meet procurement requirements, and inform eco-conscious consumers.

PCF (Product Carbon Footprint): The Shopper-Friendly Climate Metric

  • Focuses specifically on greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂e) across the life cycle.

  • What it is: A clear, single-number climate impact measure.

  • For retail: Communicate simple carbon metrics on product pages, support net-zero commitments, comply with emerging disclosure laws.

DPP (Digital Product Passport): The Future of Transparency

  • A digital, standardized system (especially in the EU) for sharing detailed sustainability data.

  • What it is: A digital “profile” including EPDs, PCFs, materials, repair info, and more.

For retail: Prepare for EU requirements, enable resale/circular models, and give customers detailed, reliable product information.

In Short, for Retailers:

All of these approaches share the same goal:

✅ Provide data you can trust
 ✅ Make your environmental impact transparent
 ✅ Support better design, sourcing, and marketing decisions

They simply work at different levels of detail:

  • LCA is the in-depth analysis.

  • EPD is the verified, standardized communication.

  • PCF is the simple carbon number.

  • DPP is the digital platform holding it all together.

By understanding how these tools fit together, retail sustainability managers can craft the right strategy, from working with suppliers to delighting conscious shoppers to meeting new regulations head-on.

What Is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), and Why Does It Matter?

n today’s world of increasing sustainability regulations and customer expectations, transparency is no longer optional. For sustainability managers looking to communicate the environmental impact of products with credibility, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are a powerful tool.

What Is an EPD?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a third-party verified document that communicates the environmental performance of a product over its entire life cycle. It’s based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and follows international standards like ISO 14025 and EN 15804 (for construction products in Europe).

In simpler terms: if an LCA is the analysis, the EPD is the official report card—backed by data and verified by experts.

An EPD covers various environmental indicators, such as:

  • Global warming potential (CO₂e)

  • Water usage

  • Energy demand

  • Ozone depletion

  • Resource depletion

  • Waste generation

Think of it as a nutrition label, but for a product’s environmental footprint

Why Is an EPD Important?

For sustainability managers, EPDs serve several key purposes:

1. Credible Communication

EPDs provide independently verified data giving stakeholders, customers, and regulators confidence in your environmental claims.

2. Regulatory Compliance

More regulations are requiring LCA-based disclosures. In the EU, the CSRD, Green Claims Directive, and Ecodesign Regulation increasingly demand credible data, EPDs help meet those standards.

3. Green Building & Procurement

For companies in construction, manufacturing, or B2B markets, EPDs are often required in LEED, BREEAM, and public procurement specifications.

4. Competitive Advantage

EPDs help differentiate your products in sustainability-conscious markets and supply chains. They can also uncover hotspots for improvement, driving eco-design and innovation.

How to Get an EPD?

Getting an EPD involves several key steps:

Step 1: Conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Start by analyzing your product’s environmental impact from raw material extraction to end-of-life. This LCA must follow the appropriate Product Category Rules (PCRs)—which define what’s measured and how.

🔍 Tip: Choose an LCA tool or consultant in your product category and geographic region.

Step 2: Develop the EPD Document

Using the LCA data, you prepare the EPD in a standardized format. It includes technical specs, LCA results, and interpretation of the data.

Step 3: Third-Party Verification

A qualified verifier reviews the EPD for accuracy, consistency, and compliance with PCR and ISO standards. This step is critical to ensuring credibility.

Step 4: Register and Publish

Finally, the verified EPD is registered in a public database (e.g., EPD International, UL Environment, or NSF). It’s now ready to be shared with customers, procurement officers, and regulators.



Conclusion

If you’re a sustainability manager tasked with reporting on product impacts or preparing for regulatory changes, an EPD is more than a document: it’s a strategic asset. It offers transparency, trust, and a path to product improvement and competitive differentiation.

Need help getting started with LCA or EPDs? Root Sustainability offers LCA tools and support to make the process clear and actionable for product teams.