UPPS 201: Environmental Product Disclosures

GHG emissions disclosures should align with recognized carbon accounting standards such as ISO 14067 (Carbon Footprint of Products), PAS 2050, or the GHG Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard. Organizations should specify which methodology was applied and document any deviations from standard approaches.

Lifecycle emissions should cover raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use phase, and end-of-life treatment. Where complete lifecycle data is unavailable, organizations should disclose the scope of assessment (e.g., cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-grave) and identify excluded stages with justification. Primary data should be used where available; secondary data sources should be documented.

Emissions should be reported in kg CO₂e per functional unit, with the functional unit clearly defined. All greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol should be included and converted to CO₂ equivalents using IPCC global warming potential factors. Organizations should specify the GWP timeframe used (e.g., 100-year GWP).

Energy consumption should be reported in standard units (MJ, kWh, or GJ) across all lifecycle stages. Organizations should distinguish between renewable and non-renewable energy sources, and specify the energy mix where relevant to environmental impact assessment.

Manufacturing energy should include both direct energy consumption in production facilities and indirect energy embedded in purchased materials and components. For products with significant use-phase energy consumption (e.g., appliances, vehicles), organizations should provide estimated annual or lifetime energy use based on standard usage patterns.

Energy efficiency metrics should be provided where applicable, such as energy per unit of output, energy intensity ratios, or compliance with energy efficiency standards (e.g., Energy Star, EU Energy Label). Organizations should document assumptions about usage patterns, operating conditions, and product lifetime used in energy calculations.

Water use disclosures should distinguish between water withdrawal (total water taken from sources) and water consumption (water not returned to the source). Organizations should report both metrics in cubic meters (m³) or liters, specifying the measurement approach and boundaries.

Water stress context is critical. Organizations should identify whether water is sourced from water-stressed regions using tools such as the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas or WWF Water Risk Filter. Water use in high-stress regions should be separately disclosed and contextualized.

Water quality impacts should be considered alongside quantity. Organizations should disclose wastewater generation, treatment methods, and discharge quality where material to environmental impact. Water use efficiency metrics and recycling rates should be provided where applicable.

Waste generation should be reported by type (hazardous, non-hazardous) and by disposal method (recycled, incinerated, landfilled). Organizations should follow waste classification systems aligned with local regulations (e.g., EU Waste Framework Directive, Basel Convention for hazardous waste).

Manufacturing waste should include production scrap, defective products, and packaging waste. Organizations should report waste intensity metrics (waste per unit of production) and waste diversion rates (percentage of waste diverted from landfill through recycling, composting, or energy recovery).

End-of-life waste projections should be provided where the product itself becomes waste. This includes estimated product weight at disposal, material composition affecting recyclability, and expected disposal pathways based on available infrastructure and product design.

Recycled content should be reported as percentage by weight, distinguishing between pre-consumer (post-industrial) and post-consumer recycled materials. Organizations should specify the types of recycled materials used and provide third-party certification where available (e.g., GRS - Global Recycled Standard).

Renewable materials should be defined as materials derived from biological resources that can be replenished within a human timescale. Organizations should disclose the percentage of renewable content by weight and specify material types (e.g., bio-based plastics, sustainably sourced wood, natural fibers).

Sustainability certifications for renewable materials should be disclosed (e.g., FSC for wood, USDA BioPreferred, RSB for bio-based materials). Organizations should document the methodology used to calculate recycled and renewable content percentages, including allocation approaches for multi-material products.

Hazardous substance disclosures should align with applicable regulations such as REACH (EU), RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), California Proposition 65, or equivalent regional frameworks. Organizations should identify substances of concern by chemical name and CAS number where applicable.

Threshold reporting should follow regulatory requirements. For substances above regulatory thresholds, organizations should disclose concentration levels, location within the product, and function of the substance. Compliance statements should reference specific regulations and testing methods used.

Organizations should disclose efforts to substitute hazardous substances with safer alternatives, including timelines for phase-out where applicable. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) or Safety Data Sheets (SDS) should be referenced or made available for products containing hazardous materials.