Material Health
Pursuing material health in the building industry involves avoiding or eliminating toxic chemicals from building products. Toxic chemicals are those that can bring harm to factory workers, installers, or building occupants. There are tens of thousands of unregulated chemicals used in our building products, and they can increase the risk of everything from asthma to obesity to cancer.
Materials containing these toxic chemicals include carpet, insulation, wet-applied products like adhesives and sealants, and many others. It’s possible to improve material health through better design decisions and product selections.
Material Health
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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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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Carnegie Introduces Surface IQ Wallcoverings
Product Review
Surface IQ polyethylene wallcoverings use natural clay fire retardants and offer optional microperforations to reduce the risk of moisture buildup.
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Hands-Free Parking
Product Review
The AutoMotion Parking System creates an automated parking garage, offering advantages including indoor environmental quality benefits.
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New Treated Wood Uses Nonmetallic Biocides
Product Review
A new treated wood product in Arch Treatment Technologies' Wolmanized line uses a trio of organic biocides to protect the wood for outdoor, aboveground use.
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180 Walls Sets New Standard for Green Wallcovering
Product Review
A woven polyester wallcovering from Milliken, 180 Walls is cost-competitive with vinyl wallcoverings and offers a number of environmental benefits that are backed up by third-party certifications.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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New EHS Transparency Tool Based on Cradle to Cradle Program
News Analysis
A new way to report product ingredients, the Environmental and Health Statement, puts yet another spin on transparency.
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Two Phthalate-Free PVC Plasticizers Stand Out in New Report
News Brief
A Healthy Building Network report reviews alternatives to standard plasticizers found in flexible PVC products and assesses their potential impact.
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Is That Drywall "Just"? New Label Aims for Social Equity
News Analysis
Building product manufacturers and other organizations can now declare their performance on metrics like worker safety, diversity, and happiness.
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Flame Retardant Whack-a-Mole Continues
News Analysis
Levels of the worst chemicals are finally declining in our bodies, but health concerns about alternatives grow.
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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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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