I04: Water Footprint – Above Green

Living Products have a quantified water Footprint for their cradle-to-grave production. In order to improve the use and management of water both on-site at the facility and within the life cycle of the product, it is crucial to first understand how water is used, how much water is used and the fate of that process water.

On-Site Water Footprint:

Manufacturers must determine where and how water is used on-site at the facility and identify opportunities for decreasing water use or improving its use and disposal.

Life Cycle Water Footprint:

Manufacturers must conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to assess and document the water Footprint and identify the five processes (key drivers) that make the largest contributions to the product’s cradle-to-gate water Footprint. Manufacturers can make use of an existing LCA or Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) that follows the ISO 14044 standard for LCA used for third-party communication. Manufacturers must demonstrate that the water Footprint of the product is lower than the industry average for the product type.