With increasing environmental regulations and a growing consumer demand for transparency, the tools available to measure and communicate sustainability efforts have never been more critical. Two of the most effective tools in the sustainability toolkit are Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
Frequently Asked Questions about Life Cycle Assessments (LCA)
Understanding sustainability requires more than just knowing the latest buzzwords. Acronyms like LCA, EPD, and PCF are everywhere, but what do they mean, and why do they matter? We’re using a familiar analogy, making soup, to explain three key sustainability tools to help you better understand how these tools are essential for measuring, communicating, and improving environmental performance.
The 3 Most Common Types of Life Cycle Assessments
Key Terms to Navigate LCA and EPDs
Sustainability conversations can get technical — fast. With so many acronyms and specialized terms, it’s easy to feel lost or overwhelmed. Whether you're conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) or preparing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), this glossary will help you decode key concepts and confidently lead the conversation.
Sustainability Alphabet Soup: LCA, PCF, and EPD Explained
Understanding sustainability requires more than just knowing the latest buzzwords. Acronyms like LCA, EPD, and PCF are everywhere, but what do they mean, and why do they matter? We’re using a familiar analogy, making soup, to explain three key sustainability tools— Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), and Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) to help you better understand how these tools are essential for measuring, communicating, and improving environmental performance.
Life Cycle Assessment vs Carbon Accounting: What’s the Difference and Why it Matters
Understanding the difference between Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Accounting is crucial for organizations looking to make data-driven decisions, reduce emissions, and improve financial performance. By leveraging these tools, businesses can stay ahead of evolving regulations while enhancing operational efficiency and brand reputation.
Deep Dive into LCA, EPD, and PCF with LCA Experts Nicole Meyer and Marquis Miller from Sustainable Solutions Corporation
Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), and Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) are essential to reducing your company’s carbon footprint, but many companies have unanswered questions about the process for completing them. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with LCA experts Nicole Meyer and Marquis Miller from Sustainable Solutions Corporation to answer some of the most frequently asked questions they receive about LCA, EPD, and PCF. They discuss the data collection process, timelines, what to include in your LCA, relevant standards and frameworks, Product Category Rules, functional units, how LCA, EPD, and PCF relate to carbon footprint, and more.
Using Life Cycle Assessment to Achieve Carbon Drawdown in Agriculture with Mark Izzo from Bright Future Foods
25% of the global carbon emissions come from the food industry. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a great tool that can be used to help reduce the carbon footprint of the food we produce. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Mark Izzo, Co-founder and CEO of Bright Future Foods, to discuss Bright Future Foods and Airly Foods, how significant the food industry’s carbon emissions are, how Airly is using food to reduce climate change, carbon-converting farms, the use of LCA to reduce the carbon footprint of Airly crackers, regenerative agriculture, and what’s next for Airly Foods.
Life Cycle Assessment: The Key to Reducing Carbon Footprint
Reversing Global Warming and Creating Carbon Negative Products with Lisa Conway from Interface
Climate change is a significant issue for everyone on the planet. Reducing embodied and operational carbon is critical to reversing global warming. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Lisa Conway VP of Sustainability, Americas for Interface, to discuss Interface’s commitment to sustainability, why carbon is so important in the building industry, Interface’s carbon neutral and negative products for carpet and Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), Interface’s GreenCircle certifications, and what’s next for embodied carbon in products.
Driving Sustainable Innovation in the Footwear Industry with Andy Polk from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA)
The global footwear market is a multi-billion dollar industry that has a huge carbon footprint. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Andy Polk, Senior Vice President at the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), to discuss FDRA’s sustainability and innovation working groups, how FDRA is working with members to drive product innovation in footwear, how you can access FDRA’s Digital Shoe Sustainability Summit, and more.
How to Reduce Your Scope 3 Emissions
Measuring and managing Scope 3 emissions presents greater challenges than Scope one and Scope 2 emissions for many companies. Scope 3 emissions usually represent the greatest contribution to a company’s emissions profile. In this episode, Tad explains what Scope 3 emissions are, how a company can start to understand them, and how companies can reduce their Scope 3 emissions.
How Your Company Can Help Solve the Ocean Plastic Problem
Using Embodied Carbon to Select More Sustainable Products with Diana Smiciklas from Perkins&Will
Architects and designers are prioritizing embodied carbon reductions in buildings. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Diana Smiciklas, a Sustainability Advisor at Perkins&Will, to discuss why embodied carbon reduction is so important to Perkins&Will, how Perkins&Will is implementing embodied carbon reductions into interiors and architectural projects, whether or not their clients are embracing these initiatives, how manufacturers can help the A&D community find the products they are looking for, and the importance of third-party certifications in achieving embodied carbon reductions.
How to Reduce Your Product's Embodied Carbon
Embodied carbon is a hot topic in the building product’s community, but it is important for all businesses to consider when manufacturing their products. In this episode, Tad explains what embodied carbon is, how companies can reduce their product’s embodied carbon, and the benefits of embodied carbon reduction.