7 Common Mistakes Manufacturers Make When Getting an EPD

You paid for an EPD. Six months later, a buyer rejects it. Their reason? It uses the wrong rules for their market.

That story happens more often than you'd think. And it's almost always avoidable.

Most Environmental Product Declarations go wrong for the same few reasons. Here are the seven we see most, with a simple fix for each one.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes With Environmental Product Declarations?

Most problems with Environmental Product Declarations start early. Factories pick the wrong rules, start with weak data or group products badly. Others ignore their buyer's market or let the EPD expire. Some hide it from buyers or overclaim its results. Each mistake costs time, money or sales. All seven have simple fixes.

Here's the full list at a glance:

Now let's look at each one closely.

Mistake 1: Choosing the Wrong Product Rules

Every EPD must follow a set of product rules, called a PCR. Building products usually follow EN 15804 or ISO 21930. Pick the wrong version, and your EPD may not count. For example, EU buyers now expect EN 15804+A2, not the older A1 version.

Here's how it plays out. A Jebel Ali panel maker publishes an EPD to old rules. A German buyer asks for A2 results. So the factory pays to redo the study.

The fix: Ask your top buyers which rules they accept. Then confirm the PCR before any data work starts.

Mistake 2: Starting With Weak Data

Weak data is the biggest cause of EPD delays. Factories often lack sub-meters, supplier figures or clean waste records. Then the consultant fills gaps with generic averages. That can make your product look worse than it is. Verifiers also ask more questions.

Generic data plays it safe. So it often shows higher impacts than your real process.

Picture a Sharjah paint plant with no meter on its mixing line. The study uses a sector average for power. The result looks worse than the plant's true figure.

The fix: Name one data owner. Then fill your biggest gaps, such as meters and supplier data, before kickoff.

Mistake 3: Grouping Products the Wrong Way

Product grouping can save money or quietly hurt you. Group too broadly, and your best product hides inside a weaker average. Group too narrowly, and you pay for many separate studies. Many product rules also limit how far results inside one group can differ.

Think of a glass maker with clear and coated glass in one group. The clear glass has a much lower carbon figure. But buyers only see the average.

The fix: Group products that share the same process and similar results. Give your star products their own EPD.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Your Buyer's Market

An EPD only helps if your buyers accept it. Different markets prefer different rules, programs and formats. A local project may accept one program, while an EU tender expects another. So always plan around where your product will actually sell.

Ask yourself a few questions first:

• Where do you sell today? List your top three markets.

• Where will you sell next? Think two to three years ahead.

• What do buyers ask for? Check recent tenders and emails.

• Which programs do they trust? Ask before you pick one.

The fix: Build one EPD that fits your main markets from day one. That beats paying for two.

Mistake 5: Treating the EPD as a One-Off Project

Many factories publish an EPD and then forget it. But most EPDs expire after five years. A big change in materials, fuel or process can also make the data outdated. An expired EPD can knock your product out of a live tender.

Here's a real-world risk. A tile supplier's EPD expires two weeks before a tender closes. The renewal takes months. So the supplier misses the bid.

The fix: Set a renewal reminder at least 12 months before expiry. Keep your data system running after you publish.

Mistake 6: Keeping Your EPD Hidden

An EPD can't win sales if nobody sees it. Some factories file it away after publishing. Sales teams don't share it, and buyers can't find it online. Your EPD should work as a sales tool, not sit in a drawer.

Make your EPD easy to find:

• Add it to your website's product pages

• Put it in your spec pack and tender files

• Train your sales team to mention it early

• List it on the EPD databases design teams use

• Share it on LinkedIn when you publish

The fix: Treat your EPD launch like a product launch. Tell buyers, designers and contractors.

Mistake 7: Overclaiming What Your EPD Shows

An EPD reports facts. It doesn't make your product "green," "eco-friendly" or "carbon neutral" by itself. Overclaiming its results can damage buyer trust and create legal risk. Comparing your EPD with one made under different rules can also mislead buyers.

Watch your marketing words closely:

The fix: Quote your EPD results as they appear. Then let the verified numbers do the talking.

How Can You Avoid These EPD Mistakes?

You can avoid most EPD mistakes by planning before you collect any data. Confirm your buyers' markets and rules first. Prepare clean data and group products with care. Then treat your EPD as a living sales tool. Plan renewals and keep claims honest.

Use this pre-project checklist:

• We know which markets our buyers serve

• We confirmed the right product rules and version

• One person owns our EPD data

• We filled our biggest data gaps

• We grouped products by process and results

• We set a renewal reminder before expiry

• We planned how sales will share the EPD

• Our marketing team knows what we can claim

Tick every box, and you'll dodge the mistakes that cost factories the most.

How EnviroLink Helps You Get It Right First Time

EnviroLink helps UAE and GCC manufacturers avoid these mistakes from the start. We check your markets, rules and data before any study begins. That way, your EPD works for the buyers who matter most.

Our team also guides you on grouping, renewals and honest marketing claims. So your EPD keeps working long after you publish it.

Learn more about our Environmental Product Declarations service, or visit the EnviroLink home page.