This slides deck includes the materials used in the webinar we hosted on the definition of representative product for the 2nd wave pilots of the Environmental Footprint pilot phase. We gave this webinar on behalf of the Environmental Footprint team from the European Commission.

1. Webinar: Definition of representative product
In context of EF pilot phase of European Commission DG-ENV
27 June 2014

2. Pilot phase is a work in progress
• One of the pilot’s objectives is to set up and validate the
process of the development of Product Environmental
Footprint Category Rules – PEFCRs, including the
development of performance benchmarks
• Lessons learned will be documented and taken into account
for further improvement of the PEF guide
• This webinar aims to support you in applying the PEF guide
and Guidance document v4.0 but is also a platform for
discussing bottlenecks and lessons learned
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3. Development process of PEFCR
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Final PEFCR
Confirmation of benchmark(s) and determination
of performance classes
PEFCR supporting studies
Draft PEFCR
PEF screening
Define product “model” based on representative
product
Define PEF product category
Focus of this webinar is
the definition of the
representative product

4. Outline of webinar
• What is a representative product?
• Why define a representative product?
• What you need before you define a representative product?
• Definition of representative product
• Virtual versus real product
• Market share of different product types
• Schemes for defining the representative product
– Presentation of 3 options
– Practical food/beverage examples
• Guidance for defining representative product(s)
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5. What is a representative product?
• The representative product represents all products covered by
the PEFCR.
• The representative product may or may not be a real product
that one can buy on the EU market.
• When the market is made up of different technologies, the
“representative product” may be a virtual (non-existing)
product with the average EU sales-weighted characteristics of
all technologies around.
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6. Why define a Representative Product?
• The representative product is the basis of the PEF screening
which provides insight into the relevant life cycle stages,
processes and impact categories of the product category
(including the identification of processes for which primary
data are requested).
• The representative product will contribute to the definition of
the environmental performance benchmark for the product
category (meaning that products within the same product
category that serve the same function shall be comparable to
each other).
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7. What you need to know before you define the
Representative Product ?
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Unit of analysis
Representative product
Benchmark
Product category
Unit of analysis is starting point of PEFCR development
Based on unit of analysis, the product category is being
defined, including CPA code(s)
Representative product is defined based on EU market
shares of various technologies in product category
Benchmark is developed starting from the
environmental profile of the representative product
(C- performance class) and then refined based on the
results of the different consultations and the
supporting studies

8. Definition of Representative Product
• Two options for defining the representative product:
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Virtual product
• Market is made up of
different technologies
Sufficient market and
technical information
available.
• Virtual (non-existing)
product based on average
EU sales-weighted
characteristics of all
existing technologies
Real product
• Market is made up of
different technologies,
but incomplete market
and/or technical
information
• Real product sold at EU
market may be chosen as
representative product

9. Alternative weighting sets
• In addition to the EU sales-weighted average, other weighting
sets can be explored in the pilot phase for defining a “virtual”
product, for example:
– Weighted average based on mass (ton of material)
– Weighted average based on product units (pieces)
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Differences in weighting sets and consequences for the final screening results
and benchmark can be explored during the pilot phase.

10. Questions that need to be answered:
• What technologies exist within the product category?
• What is the market share (and trend) of each technology (sold in the EU
market)?
– If products are mainly produced outside the EU, than the production technologies used in the
countries where the products are produced should be used.
• In what way do the technologies differ?
– Materials used, or if more appropriate, ingredients
– Different manufacturing processes?
– Different applications?
– Other relevant differences that should be taken into account in defining the
representative product?
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If there is not sufficient information available to answer these questions, a real
product sold on the European market could be a better alternative.

11. Main challenges in defining the representative product
1. How to determine market shares of technologies?
2. How to deal with multiple applications?
3. How to determine the representative product in the case of
intermediate products?
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12. Schemes for defining the representative product
Inherently, all products fulfill the same main function.
1.
2.
3.
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Single application and
products/technologies
covered are very
similar
1 representative
product and screening
1 benchmark
Products used in
different applications
and they cannot
replace each other
Multiple
representative
products and
screenings
Multiple benchmarks
Considerably different
technologies/materials
used for the same
application
Multiple
representative
products and
screenings
Functional benchmark
(and possibly
individual
benchmarks)

13. Technology
Screening
Benchmark
Benchmark becomes
part of the PEFCR
Option 1
Similar technologies and one application Used by 1st wave pilots:
- Liquid laundry detergents

14. Screening
Benchmark for
bottled water
Option 1 – example
Similar technologies and one application – Bottled water
1 liter of bottled waterUnit of analysis
Representative product
Product category
Mineral waters and aerated waters, not
sweetened nor flavoured – CPA code 11.07.11
RP bottled water
Just for illustration:
The pilot on packed water can deviate from
this approach if appropriate.

15. Application A Application B Application C
Screening A Screening B Screening C
Benchmark A Benchmark B Benchmark C
All benchmarks
become part of the
PEFCR covering
applications A, B,
and C
Thismodellingshallberepeatedfor
eachapplication
Option 2
Multiple applications Used by 1st wave pilots:
- Intermediate paper products
- Batteries

16. RP for dairy
cow feed
Screening for
dairy cow feed
Benchmark for
dairy cow feed
Option 2 – example
Multiple applications – Feed for food producing animals
1 kg of feed for food producing animals
to provide nutrition
Unit of analysis
Representative product
Product category Prepared animal feeds – CPA code 10.91
RULE: If the products are not
interchangeable, multiple benchmarks
should be defined!
Just for illustration:
The pilot on feed for food producing
animals deviate from this approach if
appropriate.
RP for pig feed
Screening for
pig feed
Benchmark for
pig feed
RP for animal
feed n
Screening for
animal feed n
Benchmark for
animal feed n

17. Technology A Technology B Technology C
Screening A Screening B Screening C
Benchmark A Benchmark B Benchmark C
Both set of
benchmarks
become part of
the PEFCR for
application A
Functional Benchmark
Market
share
Thismodellingshallberepeatedforeach
applicationtype
Option 3
Multiple technologies but single application
Used by 1st wave pilots:
- Hot and cold water pipes
- Paints

18. Apple juice Orange juice
Screening Apple juice Screening Orange juice
Benchmark Apple juice Benchmark Orange juice
Benchmark
Fruit juice
Market share
Option 3 - examples
Multiple technologies but single application – Fruit juices
1 liter of fruit juices to provide nutritionUnit of analysis
Representative product
Product category Fruit juices – CPA code 11.07.19
Juice n
Screening n
Benchmark n
Example used just for
illustration
The individual
benchmarks may or may
not be reported.

19. Definition of “representative product”

20.  Representative Products should be established at a level where they enable
a meaningful comparison
 Different Representative Products might need to be established within a
category at sub-category level, if applications are too different
 Different Representative Products might need to be established within a
category for different technologies used
 Different Representative Products should be kept separate, incl. developed
benchmarks (if appropriate)
 If appropriate, an aggregation to a higher level can be conducted at a later
stage
 If only highly aggregated information would be kept in a PEFCR this might
prevent the possibility to conduct meaningful comparisons and to develop
meaningful benchmarks (if appropriate)
Guidance for defining Representative Product(s)

21. Definition of the ‘representative product’ model
• The “representative product” model report should include:
1. Bill of materials (BOM) or if more suitable, ingredients
2. A flow diagram (system boundaries) covering the entire life cycle
3. Assumptions related to transportation systems
4. Assumptions related to use scenario (if relevant)
5. Assumptions related to end of life (if relevant)
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22. Reminder
• The Technical Secretariat should document all the steps taken
to define the “representative product” and report the
information gathered taking the most appropriate measure to
preserve the confidentiality of data.
• The choice of the “representative product” shall be discussed
with the relevant stakeholders during the first physical
consultation meeting.
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24. Contact details
Marisa Vieira | vieira@pre-sustainability.com
Annemarie Kerkhof | a.kerkhof@ecofys.com