The PCR: a standardized LCA recipe

A PCR is a copyrighted document that is part of the EPD "cookbook" and contains the recipe to create a high-quality EPD for the product category you are interested in.

The PCR provides the instructions for how the life-cycle assessment (LCA) should be conducted. It sets out what you need to consider, including but not limited to:

• System boundaries, i.e. which processes and stages of the product’s life cycle need to be considered
• Declared/functional unit: the amount, weight and service life of the product being assessed
• How to define e.g. the use phase and end-of-life options
• What impact categories need to be assessed in addition apart from the standard set as described in our General Program Instructions (GPI)

Copyright of PCRs
Unless otherwise stated, the programme operator maintains the copyright of the PCR document to ensure that it is possible to publish, update when necessary, and make available to all organisations to develop and register EPDs.

Some more details on PCRs

Product Category Rules or PCRs provide the rules, requirements, and guidelines for developing an EPD for a specific product category.

Product Category Rules (PCRs) are used as complements to the general programme instructions (GPI), e.g. in terms of calculation rules, building scenarios, and EPD contents. They ensure that functionally similar products are assessed in the same way when conducting the LCA and for product comparison. I.e. a PCR should enable different practitioners using the PCR to generate consistent results when assessing products of the same product category. They are a key part of ISO 14025 as they enable transparency and comparability between EPDs.

Currently, +100 PCRs covering many product categories are already accessible via our PCR library that is accessible, here. When you are planning to develop an EPD, please make sure that you check our library, because a new PCR may need to be developed when there is none available of the shelf for the product category.