The methodological guide on PEP ecopassport® reconditioning is available for download.

Two months after its announcement at the General Assembly on July 7, the new PEP ecopassport® methodological guide has reached a key milestone: it is now freely available for consultation and download by all interested stakeholders.

A methodological gap finally filled

Refurbishment plays an increasingly important role in circular economy strategies, giving equipment a second life while reducing its impact on natural resources. However, this market momentum faced a major hurdle: unlike new products, whose environmental impacts are assessed using proven methods, refurbished products lacked a common framework for reliable and comparable analysis.

In response, a group of the association’s industrial members joined forces to develop a shared method, resulting in the publication of this guide for the electrical, electronic, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) sectors.

Key principles of the method

This new, downloadable PEP ecopassport® methodological guide features:

• A balanced allocation method for environmental impacts and benefits, covering both the original product entering its second life and the resulting refurbished product
• A scope that extends beyond carbon emissions to include all life-cycle indicators, such as raw materials, natural resources, etc.
• A collaborative development process involving major industry players: VINCI, Legrand, Somfy, and Eaton
• Crucial input from trade associations, particularly IGNES, whose in-depth field expertise helped calibrate the adopted rules

A tool designed to evolve over time

This guide represents a first step; it is intended to be gradually expanded, product category by product category, as field feedback accumulates. Insights gained during this phase will eventually help refine existing PCR (Product Category Rules) and PSR (Product Specific Rules).

Note: The association specifies, however, that at this stage, there is no guarantee regarding the methodology’s compatibility with the INIES database.

How to obtain the guide

The document is now available free of charge below this article and on register.pep-ecopassport.org

PEP ecopassport® encourages companies in the sector to adopt it in order to increase the number of environmental declarations for refurbished products and, more broadly, to foster their growth in the market.