Material Selection
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:
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the least hazardous, most environmentally sustainable materials used in products
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environmental product declarations that can reveal the life-cycle impacts of materials
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standards and third-party certifications that provide important VOC criteria and other health and performance metrics
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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.
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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Take Control of Your Materials: Four Empowering Lessons from Teams That Beat the Red List
Feature Article
Need to streamline your product vetting process? These LBC project teams have it down to a science, and anyone can apply their methods.
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Cool Products from the Latest Greenbuild Expo
Feature Article
We scoured the Greenbuild expo floor for the best new products and the most interesting updates. Then we whittled it down to these standouts.
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Cladding: More Than Just a Pretty Façade
Feature Article
Cladding materials should be chosen to minimize environmental impacts and help maximize a building’s energy performance.
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Behind the Logos: Understanding Green Product Certifications
Feature Article
The number of environmental product standards and certifications is growing rapidly, putting numerous different "green" logos on products. This article reviews the key programs and evaluates their rigor, and offers guidance in using them to accomplish project goals.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
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- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Treated Wood for Ground Contact, Minus the Toxic Pesticides
Product Review
Accoya, now code-approved for fungus and termite resistance, relies on acetylation as a benign alternative to conventional pressure-treated wood.
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Green Multifamily Cabinetry: Three Top Options
Product Review
Need multifamily millwork that’s attractive, high-quality, domestically manufactured, low-emitting, and sustainably sourced? You’re not alone.
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Bamboo Flooring: Still Green, for a Price
Product Review
Bamboo flooring, the rapidly renewable darling of the green building movement, is still sustainable if you are willing to pay for quality.
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Three Lounge Seating Manufacturers Keeping Pace with High BIFMA Standards
Product Review
Three lounge seating manufacturers have been certified to BIFMA e3 level 3, but tracking chemicals of concern in these products is still a challenge.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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California Law Uses Environmental Product Declarations to Drive Low-Carbon Procurement
News Analysis
Buy Clean California is the first law in the nation to address embodied carbon in construction materials.
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Healthy Building Network Launches Online Forum
News Brief
The forum invites affordable housing designers to join HBN experts and others to ask questions and share information on material health.
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Reality Check for LEED v4 Product Credits
News Analysis
The three “Disclosure and Optimization” or “BPDO” credits in LEED v4 include both some pretty easy points and points that are not yet achievable.
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EPA to Regulate Hazardous Chemicals in Building Materials
News Analysis
Asbestos, HBCD, and other chemicals face restrictions under the new Toxic Substances Control Act.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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4 Insider Tips for Choosing Flashing Tapes, from a Real-Life Engineer
Blog Post
A research engineer at Pella Windows finally offers some adult supervision for our benchtop tape tests.
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Choosing Windows: New Report Addresses Cost, Performance
Op-Ed
A new report from BuildingGreen helps you choose windows for a project, find the right balance among seven key decision drivers, including cost, performance, aesthetics, and more.
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Hidden Seam Failures? We Put Flashing Tapes to the Test
Blog Post
Flashing and air barrier seam tapes get buried deep in our walls where we rely on long-term performance without monitoring them. Are they doing their jobs?
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Sealing Without Stickum: Gaskets Make a Place for Themselves
Blog Post
Compressible gaskets keep air and water barriers continuous without liquid sealants or adhesive tapes. But they don’t all last equally well.
Learning Resources
A wide range of education options, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Cool Products from the Latest Greenbuild Expo
Feature Article
We scoured the Greenbuild expo floor for the best new products and the most interesting updates. Then we whittled it down to these standouts.
-
Cladding: More Than Just a Pretty Façade
Feature Article
Cladding materials should be chosen to minimize environmental impacts and help maximize a building’s energy performance.
-
Behind the Logos: Understanding Green Product Certifications
Feature Article
The number of environmental product standards and certifications is growing rapidly, putting numerous different "green" logos on products. This article reviews the key programs and evaluates their rigor, and offers guidance in using them to accomplish project goals.
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Are Cool Roofs Green? The Answer’s Not Black and White
Feature Article
Roofing choices are complicated by heating tradeoffs, climate effects, and condensation, but proponents say reflective roofs still make sense in most climates.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.