Material Selection
Selecting building materials can be complex. You have to take into account toxicity, performance, the environmental life cycle, cost, and other factors.
Understanding what makes a building product green is a long-term prospect. Green characteristics differ from product category to product category, and multi-attribute vetting is critical.
Material Selection
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Making Carpet Environmentally Friendly
Feature Article
Carpets are the most popular floorcovering in the U.S., but they have also been associated with environmental problems including indoor air emissions and intensive resource use. However, manufacturers have worked to curb their environmental footprints by recycling carpet, examining their life-cycle impacts, and pursuing broad-based certification.
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Cradle to Cradle Certification: A Peek Inside MBDC's Black Box
Feature Article
Cradle to Cradle is a multiple-attribute product certification program based on the philosophy of architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart, and the work of their company, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC). While MBDC's consulting services are driving breakthroughs in green manufacturing, the certification program lacks some of the comprehensiveness and transparency that are increasingly expected in the green certification market.
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Greening Your Electricity
Feature Article
Many businesses and homeowners are choosing to buy green power, including renewable energy credits (RECs). This article examines the environmental benefits of green power, including on-site renewables, what REC buyers should know about their purchases, and investing in energy conservation.
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Get a Whiff of This: The Lowdown on Product Emissions Testing
Feature Article
Analytical chemistry tools, used together with product testing chambers, are making it possible to "see" product emissions in new ways. Editor Nadav Malin discusses the science behind product emissions testing, the different product certification standards, and what's ahead for this growing field.
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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Nail Kicker Aids Wood Reuse
Product Review
A pneumatic tool that aids salvage and reuse of wood, the Nail Kicker has recently been reissued.
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Triton Logging Recovers Underwater Forests
Product Review
Triton Logging, Inc., of British Columbia has brought to market environmentally-friendly lumber from forests flooded by reservoirs; standing trees are recovered using the company's unique Sawfish submarine harvester.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Bark Cladding Is First Cradle to Cradle Platinum Product
News Brief
C2C Platinum certification sets a very high bar for sustainability. A decade in, Bark House shingles are the first product to make the grade.
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LEED Pilots Legal Wood, Expansion of Certified Wood
News Analysis
A pilot credit calls attention to illegal logging while also opening LEED to SFI and other certifications.
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New Owner of TimberSIL Hopes to Put Failures in the Past
News Analysis
Everyone loved the treated-wood alternative until its high-profile failures. For the next maker of TimberSIL, quality control is job one.
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Study Vets Materials for Entire Wall Assemblies
News Brief
When you look at the whole assembly, it can change how you see the materials. Here XPS and fiberglass come out ahead, and SPF behind.
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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