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:
- Blog Post (15) Apply Blog Post filter
- Feature Article (40) Apply Feature Article filter
- Feature Short (5) Apply Feature Short filter
- Infographic (4) Apply Infographic filter
- News Analysis (67) Apply News Analysis filter
- News Brief (66) Apply News Brief filter
- Op-Ed (9) Apply Op-Ed filter
- Primer (8) Apply Primer filter
- Product Review (33) Apply Product Review filter
- Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars (1) Apply Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars filter
- Webcast (5) Apply Webcast filter
-
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.
-
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.
-
Bamboo in Construction: Is the Grass Always Greener?
Feature Article
An increasingly popular building material, bamboo is celebrated for its quick growth and ability to regenerate after being harvested. But bamboo also has its downsides. In this feature article, EBN examines the pros and cons of building with bamboo.
-
Polystyrene Insulations Are Now HBCD-Free
Product Review
Dow, Owens Corning, and Kingspan have joined the EPS industry in eliminating the hazardous halogenated flame retardant HBCD from their XPS insulations.
-
Material Transparency for LEED v4: EPDs and HPDs for Metal Studs
Blog Post
Reducing your building’s carbon footprint or health impacts? Going after new LEED credits? Transparency documents for steel studs can help.
-
Mass Timber to Be Recognized in Washington Code
News Brief
Supporters of Washington’s new mass timber law hope it will increase tall wood construction.
-
Wingnut Real-World Testing of Basement Waterproofing
Blog Post
A basement testing of UGL Drylok Extreme, Koster NB1 Grey, Xypex Concentrate negative-side waterproofing
-
New Insulated Metal Panels without Halogenated Flame Retardants
Product Review
Kingspan and Centria IMPs are using halogen-free flame retardants, resulting in less toxic, better performing insulated cladding.
-
Would Wood Skyscrapers Improve Urban Sustainability?
News Analysis
Plans to build a wood skyscraper in Tokyo will promote large-scale mass timber construction in cities.
-
Installing Insulation With the X-Floc Ventilated Dry Injection System
Blog Post
X-Floc claims the blowing equipment they use delivers cellulose at a more consistent density, and they were willing to prove it with this demonstration.
