3 DECLARED UNIT
The declared unit is 1 kg of product with the required packaging, if present.
The declared unit shall be explicitly stated in the EPD. The product weight shall be specified in the EPD. The
environmental impact shall be given per declared unit.
4 CONTENT OF MATERIALS AND CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES
The ingredients shall be declared in the EPD at a minimum of 95% of one declared unit, but also in line with the
regional/local food legislation.
5 UNITS AND QUANTITIES
SI units shall be used. It is is recommended to provide rounded data in respect of their scientific significance.
However, a maximum of two decimal units shall be used when reporting
LCA results.
GENERAL SYSTEM BOUNDARIES
Additives does not occur in sugar processing industries. Change to “processing aids”
Figure 1. Presentation of core module and upstream and downstream processes.
6.1 UPSTREAM PROCESSES
The upstream processes include the following inflow of raw materials and energy wares needed for the production
of the refined sugar from sugar beet:
The cultivation from the soil preparation to the sugar beet harvesting.
The production of seeds for the cultivation.
The water consumption in the agriculture.
The production processes and use of fertilizers used in the agriculture.
The production processes and use of other chemicals in the agriculture (e.g. herbicide, fungicide, pesticide).
The production processes of energy wares used in the agriculture.
The production of the processing aids used in the core process (e.g. water, milk of lime) from the cradle.
The manufacturing of the packaging and the production of the raw material used for the packaging, if present.

Transport of seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, energy wares and processing aids to agriculture.
6.2 CORE PROCESSES
The core processes include:
The external transportation of raw materials and energy wares to the manufacturing site ().
The manufacturing of the final product.
The transportation from the manufacturing site to the packaging site (if present and they are not coinciding).
The packaging process of the final product, if present.
The transportation from manufacturing site/packaging site to an average retailer/distribution platform, if
applicable
The waste treatment of the production process
6.3 DOWNSTREAM PROCESSES
The downstream processes include:
If present, the recycling or handling of packaging waste after use
7 CORE MODULE
7.1 SYSTEM BOUNDARIES
7.1.1 TECHNICAL SYSTEM
The processes listed (in 6.2) for the production of the final product, including primary and secondary packaging (if
present), shall be included. Manufacturing processes not listed may be included. However, the production of the
processing aids used for production of the final product shall be included.
Production processes which are mandatory to include are:
Energy consumption, raw material use and emissions from the cleaning of beets process to the final refining of
the sugar and its packaging
Water consumption and production of energy wares and raw material at manufacturing site
The transportation of raw materials to the sugar production plant
The packaging process of the product, if present
The transportation from manufacturing site/packaging site to an average retailer/distribution platform, if
applicable
Waste that leaves system boundaries () should be declared specifying the amount and the treatment process.
Waste that is deposited in landfill shall be declared as kg of waste (and kg of hazardous waste).
A minimum of 95 % of the total weight of the declared product including packaging shall be included.
The manufacturing of production equipment, buildings and other capital goods shall not be included.
Recycling of secondary packaging (if present) may be included in a quantified way, however, in that case
separate and not included in the total sum of the environmental impact of the core module.
7.1.2 GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES
The data for the core module shall be representative for the actual production processes and representative for
the site/region where the respective process is taking place.
7.1.3 TIME BOUNDARIES
The data shall be representative for the year/time frame for which the EPD is valid (maximum three years).
7.1.4 BOUNDARIES TO NATURE
Boundaries to nature are defined as flows of material and energy resources from nature into the system.
Emissions to air, water and soil cross the system boundary when they are emitted from or leaving the product
system.
7.1.5 BOUNDARIES TO OTHER PRODUCT LIFE CYCLES
If there is an inflow of recycled material to the production system in the production/manufacturing phase, the
recycling process and the transportation from the recycling process to where the material is used shall be
included. If there is an outflow of material to recycling, the transportation of the material to the recycling process
shall be included. The material going to recycling is then an outflow from the production system. (See General
Programme Instructions Annex A).
7.2 CUT OFF RULES
Life Cycle Inventory data for a minimum of 99 % of total inflows to the core module shall be included. Inflows not
included in the LCA shall be documented in the EPD.
7.3 ALLOCATION RULES
If the production process generates more than one product (e.g. different quality of sugar, energy from waste
treatment, molasses for animal feeding), the inputs and outputs of the system should be partitioned between its
different products or function. Allocation between sugar and co-products shall be based on energy content or
other physical relation.
7.4 DATA QUALITY RULES
Specific data (often called site specific data) shall be used for the Core Module.
Specific data are gathered from the sites where specific processes are carried out.
The requirement for specific data also includes actual product weights, amounts of raw materials used and
amounts of waste.
Specific data for the generation of electricity bought shall be used if possible. The data should be verifiable by
invoice or similar.
If specific data are not available or if the electricity bought is not specified for parts of the Core Module, the
electricity mix used in those parts shall be approximated as the official electricity mix in the country of
manufacture. The mix of energy shall be documented.
8 UPSTREAM MODULE
8.1 SYSTEM BOUNDARIES
All elementary flows at resource extraction shall be included, except for the flows that fall under the general 1%
cut off rule.
The cradle for the agriculture is the soil preparation (all field operations during one cycle). If any changes in land
use occur, direct land use change impact (LUC) shall be accounted for. Indirect land use change shall not be
included.
The production and use of all raw materials (i.e. water, fertilizers or pesticides) from the cradle and of all energy
wares shall be included (see paragraph 6).
The production process of the packaging shall be included, if present.
8.2 DATA QUALITY RULES
Specific data shall be used for operations in agriculture and upstream production sites, e.g. yield, inputs to
agriculture (fertilisers, pesticides, manure, fuel etc), consumption of energy wares, waste generation etc.
Selected generic data shall be used for other parts of the LCI , such as biogenic emissions from crop production,
fertilizers, i.e. data from commonly available data sources such as commercial databases and free databases,
describing specific raw materials or processes usually referring to the system under study or to other system
equivalent from a technical point of view.
For allowing the use of selected generic data, a number of pre-set characteristics must be fulfilled and
demonstrated:
Representativeness of the geographical area should adhere to “Data deriving from areas with the same
legislative framework and the same energetic mix”,
Technological equivalence adhere to “Data deriving from the same chemical and physical processes or at
least the same technology coverage (nature of the technology mix, e.g. weighted average of the actual process
mix, best available technology or worst operating unit)”,
Boundaries towards nature adhere to “Data shall report all the quantitative information (resources, solid, liquid,
gaseous emissions; etc.) necessary for the EPD”, and
Boundaries towards technical systems adhere to “The boundaries of the considered life cycle stage shall be
equivalent”.
8.3 RULES FOR GENERIC DATA
If these data sources do not supply the necessary data, other generic data may be used and documented. The
environmental impact of the processes where the other generic data are used must not exceed 10% of the overall
environmental impact from the product system.
"Data calculated with system expansion should not be used, but if no other data is available, any negative flows
should be changed to zero, see General Programme Instructions, annex A."
9 DOWNSTREAM MODULE
The downstream processes include:
The end of life process of the primary packaging, if present
The use phase shall not be included.
9.1 USE PHASE SCENARIO
Use phase is not included because neither refrigeration nor cooking is required: refined sugar is a ready-made
product and does not lead to specific environmental impact in the use phase.
9.2 RECYCLING DECLARATION AND WASTE TREATMENT
Recommendations for the responsible and correct recycling of packaging (if present) shall be provided. The
potential environmental impacts and benefits of recycling of primary packaging shall be illustrated.
Impacts could be calculated taking into account an average disposal scenario of the primary packaging.
10 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE RELATED INFORMATION
10.1 USE OF RESOURCES
The consumption of the following natural resources and resources per declared unit shall be reported in the EPD,
divided into core, upstream and, if relevant, downstream module.
Input parameters, extracted resources:
Non-renewable resources:
- Material resources
- Energy resources (used for energy conversion purposes)
Renewable resources:
- Material resources
- Energy resources (used for energy conversion purposes)
Water use
Electricity consumption (electricity consumption during manufacturing).
10.2 POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The environmental impact per declared unit for the following environmental impact categories shall be reported in
the EPD, divided into core, upstream and, if relevant, downstream module:
The emissions of greenhouse gases (expressed in global warming potential, GWP, kg CO 2-equivalents, in 100
year perspective).
Emission of ozone-depleting gases (expressed as the sum of ozone-depleting potential in kg CFC 11equivalents, 20 years).
Emission of acidification gases (expressed as the sum of acidification potential in kg SO2- equivalents).
Emissions of gases that contribute to the creation of ground level ozone (expressed as the sum of ozonecreating potential, kg ethene-equivalents).
Emission of substances to water contributing to oxygen depletion (expressed as kg PO4- equivalents)
Information about biogenic CO2 emissions is optional. If reported, the biogenic CO2 emissions shall be separated
from the other greenhouse gases (expressed in global warming potential, GWP, in 100 year perspective).
The tables from General Programme Instructions, Annex B shall be used.
10.3 OTHER INDICATORS
The following indicators shall be reported in the EPD, also per declared unit and divided into two or three modules
(if the downstream module is relevant):
Material subject for recycling
Hazardous waste, kg
Other waste, kg
Co-product destined to other chains (such as animal feeding or heat/electricity produced)
10.4 ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
It is recommended to add verifiable information enabling comparison between products grown in different climatic
and soil conditions based on the concept of functional unit. Such information can encompass measurable quality
characteristics pertaining to the geographic area of cultivation. It is also advised a description of how the
organization deals with the environmental matter:
the environmental management system or any other activity related to environmental friendly practice
the contribution of sugar beet cultivation to biodiversity and environment more in general
information on where interested parties may find more details about the organization’s effort to protect the
environment