Flipping the Script: From EPDs to Community LCA Models

Recently, I tried something a bit unconventional.

I took a publicly available Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for a chair and rebuilt it as a community LCA model in CarbonGraph.

The goal was simple:

Turn a static report into a reusable, editable model that others can build on.

Instead of starting from scratch, anyone working on a similar product can now start from a working foundation.

Here’s a quick video walkthrough of the model and how it was built:

Why This Matters

1. Accelerating LCA adoption

LCA is often seen as:

• Time-consuming

• Expensive

• Dependent on specialized tools

By recreating models from public data, we lower the barrier to entry.

Instead of rebuilding the same system over and over, practitioners can start from a credible baseline and focus on what actually matters: improving the product.

2. Moving beyond the “black box”

One of the biggest challenges in LCA is transparency.

We often see:

• Final results

• High-level summaries

But not:

• The structure of the model

• The assumptions behind it

• The trade-offs embedded in the system

Community models change that.

They make LCAs:

• Inspectable — every input and assumption is visible

• Traceable — you can follow impacts back to their source

• Challengeable — others can validate or improve your work

3. A foundation for real scenario analysis

Once a model exists, it becomes far more than a static study.

You can:

• Test material substitutions

• Adjust manufacturing assumptions

• Explore design changes

Instead of redoing the LCA each time, you’re working with a living model that evolves with your product.

What We Built

We started with a public chair EPD (from Kielhauer—publicly available and not affiliated with CarbonGraph).

From that, we reconstructed:

• Material inventory (steel, plywood, plastics, packaging)

• Manufacturing processes (mapped to EcoInvent datasets)

• Transport and energy inputs

From there, we:

Built the full lifecycle graph

We mapped the product from raw materials → manufacturing → final assembly.

Parameterized key inputs

Where possible, we introduced parameters:

• Material quantities

• Process efficiencies

• Energy use

This makes the model flexible and easy to adapt.

Validated against the original EPD

Our result landed within ~7% of the reported Global Warming Potential.

Perfect alignment isn’t realistic—EPDs don’t expose every assumption—but this level of agreement confirms the model is a reliable baseline.

What This Enables

This is where things get interesting.

Start faster

Use the model as a base for:

• Furniture products

• Similar manufacturing systems

Skip hours (or days) of setup.

Explore design decisions

Quickly test:

• Recycled vs. virgin materials

• Supplier changes

• Manufacturing improvements

And see the impact immediately.

Collaborate more effectively

Because the model is shareable:

• Teams can align on assumptions

• Consultants and clients can work from the same source

• Feedback becomes actionable, not abstract

Communicate more clearly

For non-technical stakeholders, a model is far more powerful than a report.

It lets you show:

• Where impacts come from

• What levers actually matter

• How decisions change outcomes

A Note on Imperfection

Rebuilding from an EPD isn’t perfect.

We ran into:

• Missing assumptions

• Some data gaps

• Necessary approximations

But that’s part of the value.

When models are shared, they improve over time.

Instead of hidden limitations, you get visible, fixable gaps—and that leads to better work across the board.

Where This Is Going

This isn’t just about one chair model.

It’s part of a broader shift:

From static LCAs → to shared, evolving models

We’re starting to layer on:

• Scenario comparison tools

• Better visualization (dashboards)

• Easier model sharing and reuse

The long-term goal is simple:

Make high-quality LCA faster, more transparent, and more collaborative.

Try It Yourself

If you're ready to build on this model, check it out:

• Link to the Community Model in CarbonGraph (sign up for a free account and check out "Community Models" in the top nav).

• The original EPD (publicly available, but in no way affiliated with CarbonGraph)

If you have feedback or ideas for improvement—share them. That’s the point.

Final Thought

Recreating an LCA from a public EPD isn’t just a technical exercise.

It’s a step toward a more open LCA ecosystem—where:

• models are shared

• assumptions are visible

• and progress compounds over time

The more we treat LCAs as living systems instead of static outputs, the faster the entire field moves forward.