Ahead of the Curve: How AlmaScience Built Practical EPD Capability Before It Became an Immediate Need
Company Overview
AlmaScience is a research and technology company focused on helping businesses develop sustainable materials, technologies and products. Senior researchers Bruno Ravanello and Cristina Gaspar lead the work on sustainability claims and environmental assessments at the company.
Challenge: Growing EPD Relevance and the Need for Practical Experience
In 2024, Bruno and Cristina took Environmental Impacts Academy’s Hands-on LCA training to build their LCA capability. The practical project component stood out to them, giving them the chance to apply what they were learning to a real case.
By 2026, they wanted to take that learning a step further. As researchers involved in sustainability claims and assessments, they were seeing growing interest in environmental product information and the Digital Product Passport, particularly in areas relevant to them such as textiles and packaging, as well as through their associates in the construction sector. For them, this pointed to a future where companies would need to understand and communicate more environmental information about their products, and EPDs offered a practical way to start building that skillset. However, neither Bruno nor Cristina had actually developed an EPD before.
As Cristina explained:
“The training to actually do the EPD was important because Bruno and I had never done one before.”
There was no immediate EPD project driving the decision.“Instead, they saw an opportunity to build practical experience before the need became urgent, as they were familiar with the growing interest in environmental product information and the Digital Product Passport. They wanted to understand not just what an EPD was, but how to actually develop one themselves.
“We want to be kind of a little bit ahead of the curve… and already have some basic knowledge when it comes to application.” — Bruno Ravanello
Having already experienced Environmental Impacts Adademy’s project-based approach through the LCA training, they knew the value of learning by doing. This made the EPD Practitioner Training pilot program a natural next step: they could build on their existing LCA knowledge, work through the EPD process themselves and apply what they learned to real products.
Solution: Gaining Hands-On Experience with EPD Development
To build that capability, Christina and Bruno joined Environmental Impacts Academy’s EPD Practitioner training, combining the theory behind EPDs with the practical experience of working on an EPD draft themselves. The project-based format was especially important for Bruno and Cristina. Rather than only learning how EPDs work in theory, they each selected a real product they were working with at AlmaScience.
Cristina chose a product with a more developed LCA behind it, allowing her to compare it with existing EPDs in construction materials. While, Bruno focused on a product that was closest to market, making the exercise directly relevant to the kinds of sustainability claims AlmaScience will need to support as Digital Product Passport requirements emerge.
The training also gave them practical insight into what happens around the EPD process, not just how to build the draft itself. Bruno particularly valued learning from others about choosing providers and understanding the practical timelines involved.
“It is good to know the practical side of EPDs, like which provider to choose… which one takes three months to reply, this one takes one month. So these are the kinds of things which you usually don't get in just a theoretical course.”
Learn more about the practical side of EPD development
See how the EPD Practitioner Training can help your team build practical EPD knowledge and experience.
Results: Getting Ahead of the Curve
By the end of the EPD Pilot Program, both had achieved what they set out to do: move beyond understanding LCA to being able to develop an Environmental Product Declaration themselves.
Just as importantly, they gained knowledge that went beyond the theory. Working alongside participants with different levels of experience exposed them to practical questions, tools and decisions they would not necessarily have encountered on their own.
For Cristina, that was one of the most valuable parts of the experience:
“It was actually very interesting to hear all the problems and issues and actually how they managed to solve everything.”
The training also gave Bruno the confidence to work with EPDs himself and, importantly, understand how to improve the process:
“The main outcome is the ability to draft the EPD and understand how to make it better.”
They learned not only how to approach an EPD, but also what to consider when moving from an LCA into the EPD process. Together, they moved from knowing that EPDs would become increasingly relevant to gaining practical experience with the process themselves. They now have a stronger foundation to build on when EPDs become directly relevant to AlmaScience’s future projects. What began as a desire to “get ahead of the curve” became a concrete capability they could apply when the need arose.
Want to build EPD capability in-house and get ahead of the curve?
Book a meeting to explore how the program can help your team move from LCA knowledge to developing an EPD draft and a clear path towards verification and publication.
