How can EPDs be used in public procurement?

There are three main methods on how to use EPDs in public procurement: 

1. To obtain environmental information on the product. To get information on the environmental impact from the goods and serviced being procured can be seen as the first step in greening the procurement activities. Knowledge about the impact of the subject matter is vital in order to be able to put down relevant GPP criteria in the tendering documents. EPDs can therefore give very useful input to GPP, either in the market analysis or as a first step in greening the GPP. Information obtained from the EPDs can also serve as environmental information to different stakeholders. 

2. As verification on environmental requirements in the tendering documents. As the EPDs contain information on the products environmental impact in a life cycle perspective, the EPD can be used to verify compliance provided that the environmental requirements put in the tendering documents is information that can be found in an EPD. Examples on such requirements are: 

• the contents of hazardous materials and substances in the product 
• environmental requirements on the production of the product 
• energy consumption when using the product.
  

3. To reward the environmentally best product. Information in EPDs within the same product group and based on the same PCR can also be used to compare products from an environmental point of view and also to reward the environmentally best product. This must be done according what is allowed in the legislation and the reward criteria must be transparent and non-discriminatory.