Material Transparency
Material transparency allows building professionals to research hidden product impacts like embodied carbon, toxic ingredients or byproducts, and social responsibility in the supply chain.
Manufacturers may release many types of documents in order to facilitate transparency. These include:
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Environmental product declarations (EPDs), which show the environmental impacts of producing and disposing of a product
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Health product declarations (HPDs), which disclose ingredients and their toxicity profiles
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Corporate sustainability reports, which look at the overall environmental impacts of a whole company
Material Transparency
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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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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The Product Transparency Movement: Peeking Behind the Corporate Veil
Feature Article
Manufacturers are offering more product information than ever, but how can we know what to trust?
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Different Tools for Different Jobs: How HPDs Fit In
Feature Short
Why do we need Health Product Declarations when we have safety data sheets, Cradle to Cradle, Declare, and other frameworks?
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How Google Uses HPDs to Choose Building Products
Feature Short
The Portico program turns chemical disclosure into a powerful decision-making tool.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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TSCA Reform: Chemical Regulations, at a Cost
Explainer
In a world where we can’t even ban asbestos, a new law revamps how the federal government regulates chemicals—but some worry it steps on the toes of progressive states.
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Understanding GreenScreen and List Translator Benchmarks
Explainer
The Health Product Declaration and some other programs ask for GreenScreen benchmarks. What does that actually mean?
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How to Read an EPD: 7 Tips from the Field (Video)
Explainer
In this short video primer, Arup engineer Frances Yang explains how to get what you need from environmental product declarations.
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Chemical Footprinting: Companies Take Stock of Their Toxic Impact
Explainer
Harmful chemicals are more difficult to quantify than carbon emissions but are equally destructive. Now you can track manufacturers’ chemical footprints.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Fiberglass, XPS, Cork? Insulation Options for LEED v4 and Living Buildings
Product Review
Choosing insulation with an eye to points in LEED v4 or Living Building Challenge compliance? Here’s how insulation materials compare.
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Unmilled Timber Frames Go High Tech, Replacing Steel
Product Review
Keep the beauty of round logs, and get more strength from an engineered wood structure, promises Wisconsin-based company WholeTrees.
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At David Edward, Material Transparency Is a Given
Product Review
Tracking materials is standard practice at David Edward, giving the company an edge in a market where transparency is a priority.
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ECOS Challenges Paint Industry to Disclose Ingredients
Product Review
ECOS Paints ignored “trade secret” complaints made by other manufacturers and now makes the first paints designated Red List Free for the Living Building Challenge.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Finding Better Materials for Affordable Housing
News Brief
The International Living Future Institute’s Declare database has added two filters to help find products that meet Enterprise Green Communities criteria.
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A Platform for Sharing Product Circularity Data
News Brief
The Product Circularity Data Sheet is a new way to track product ingredients and other circular design features, and is now available through Toxnot.
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New Directions for Mindful Materials
News Brief
More than a database, mindful Materials is taking on an advocacy and convener role focused on healthy and sustainable materials.
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Trust, but Verify: How to Get the Most from Transparency Docs
News Analysis
Third-party verification of HPDs and Declare labels is a growing trend. Is it growing fast enough?
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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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.
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An Embarrassment of Riches: Products and Materials at Greenbuild 2017
Blog Post
A new focus on embodied carbon and LEED v4 are driving designers to dive deep into what we choose for our buildings
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The Big Materials Dream Needs to Include Climate Change and More
Op-Ed
We’re finally getting vital toxicity information about building products. But let’s remember that sustainability is about more than avoiding health hazards.
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Opinion: Chemical Ingredients in Building Products—What Do You Really Need to Know?
Op-Ed
HPDs can’t be used in isolation to make decisions about the safety and environmental performance of a product.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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