OVERVIEW
Materials really do matter to the health of occupants and the environment, but finding out what is in a product—and why—is not easy.
Products also have to perform as intended, so there are often tradeoffs between performance and the most sustainable materials.
Here you will find articles on:
-
the least hazardous, most environmentally sustainable materials used in products
-
environmental product declarations that can reveal the life-cycle impacts of materials
-
standards and third-party certifications that provide important VOC criteria and other health and performance metrics
-
chemicals of concern in building materials
You’ll also learn how what makes a product green can differ from product category to product category, and why multi-attribute vetting is critical no matter what product or material you’re selecting or specifying.
IN-DEPTH
Filter results:
- (-) Remove Blog Post filter Blog Post
- Feature Article (40) Apply Feature Article filter
- Feature Short (5) Apply Feature Short filter
- (-) Remove Infographic filter Infographic
- News Analysis (68) Apply News Analysis filter
- News Brief (67) Apply News Brief filter
- (-) Remove Op-Ed filter Op-Ed
- (-) Remove Primer filter Primer
- Product Review (33) Apply Product Review filter
- Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars (1) Apply Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars filter
- Spotlight Report (3) Apply Spotlight Report filter
- Webcast (5) Apply Webcast filter
-
EBN Editors Help Untangle Green Certifications
Op-Ed
The editors of EBN and our GreenSpec Directory provide guidance on the growing field of certifications in BuildingGreen's new special report, "Green Building Product Certifications."
-
A New Edge in Specifying Green Building Products
Op-Ed
BuildingGreen will link our Web-based green products resource, GreenSpec, with the Healthy Building Network's Pharos Project to provide one trusted, authoritative, independent source for specifying green building products, information and research.
-
Fixing the Perception Problem with Cradle to Cradle Certification
Op-Ed
Products carrying Basic and Silver Cradle to Cradle labels are on a path toward sustainability, but calling them "certified" is misleading.
-
Life-Cycle Assessment: Tracing a Product's Impacts
Primer
Life-cycle assessment-accounting for all of the environmental impacts of a product from its manufacture to its disposal-is a simple concept, but using it to compare products in practice can be difficult.
-
Drywall Options: Paper-Faced, Monolithic, or Fiberglass-Faced?
Primer
Drywall types differ in cost, recyclability, and response to moisture and mold.
-
Concerns About Broadening LEED's Wood Credit
Op-Ed
Bill Edgerton, AIA, writes about his concerns that broadening LEED's wood credit would weaken LEED and erode USGBC's credibility.