mindful MATERIALS: Human Health
Some chemicals used in our buildings can harm factory employees, people in fenceline communities, and jobsite workers. After construction, many types of products can benefit occupants—or put them at risk. Our resources help you leverage ingredient knowledge, wellness insights, and certain certifications for human health-focused decision making. By preferring products that support and foster life throughout their life cycles, practitioners drive efforts to eliminate the use of hazardous substances.
mindful MATERIALS: Human Health
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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VOCs in LEED and Other Rating Systems
Feature Short
Most building certifications encourage low-emitting and low-VOC products, but they all do it differently. Here’s how it all fits together.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Countertops
Product Guide
Select the surface that meets the design objectives, meets health and environmental criteria, and has the greatest durability.
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MDF and Particleboard
Product Guide
Medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, and interior-grade plywood can emit formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. Some materials come from non-sustainable sources.
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Textiles
Product Guide
These high-performance, low-impact fabrics are painstakingly vetted and include biobased synthetics and some natural fibers.
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Hand Dryers
Product Guide
These high-performance electric hand dryers are energy-efficient, fast, and convenient.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Green Public Schools
News Analysis
With federal funds flooding in, the industry can transform K–12 education in the next three years—but only if we do it right.
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Thousands of PFAS Compounds Added to ILFI Red List
News Brief
The International Living Future Institute has added thousands of PFAS compounds to its Living Building Challenge Red List.
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The WELL Performance Rating: An Onramp to More?
News Brief
The new WELL Performance Rating rewards projects for verified wellness data. It could also help bring more owners in.
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Continuous IAQ Monitoring: Wins and Pitfalls
News Brief
A BuildingGreen Peer Networks white paper dives into continuous air-quality monitoring, helping make the technology and practices accessible to more projects.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Choosing Certifications & Ecolabels: From Projects to Products
Webcast
The presenters, Brent Ehrlich and Paula Melton, share what they learned about today’s certification landscape while writing BuildingGreen’s Guide to Building Product Certifications & Ecolabels, distilling some of the information available in that guide to help attendees start to make sense of it all.
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Smart Glass- A Panel Discussion
Webcast
Arm yourself with knowledge about the potential uses and drawbacks of smart glass, and consider whether the products have improved enough to be used in your next project!
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Constructing Change: The Contractor’s Commitment
Spotlight Report
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Is Using Smart Glass Smart?
Spotlight Report