OVERVIEW
It’s easy to select a product from a catalog without thinking about where it comes from. But if you care about hidden impacts like embodied carbon, toxic ingredients or byproducts, or social responsibility in the supply chain, a lack of information from manufacturers can hinder your selection process.
We offer tips, insights, and analysis on all these issues and more. We also look at:
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the quality of the information that’s available to you
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why it’s so hard to get
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what makes it important
- and even what to do with the data once you have it
IN-DEPTH
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Finding Products for LEED v4-A Guide
September 3, 2013Feature Article
That complicated new Materials and Resources section of LEED v4 that we debated for years? It's here. Are you ready?
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Concrete Pours through Loophole in New Carbon Law
January 6, 2018News Analysis
Buy Clean California requires contractors to specify lower-carbon products, but industry pressure quashed the law’s potential.
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The Product Transparency Movement: Peeking Behind the Corporate Veil
December 27, 2011Feature Article
Manufacturers are offering more product information than ever, but how can we know what to trust?
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Materials Transparency & LEED
December 6, 2017Webcast
This deep dive into the three Building Product Disclosure and Optimization (BPDO) credits in LEED v4 provides the rationale for why product choices are so important, the details on how to achieve points within the three credits, and which options you shouldn't bother pursuing.
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An Embarrassment of Riches: Products and Materials at Greenbuild 2017
November 2, 2017Blog 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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California Law Uses Environmental Product Declarations to Drive Low-Carbon Procurement
October 17, 2017News Analysis
Buy Clean California is the first law in the nation to address embodied carbon in construction materials.
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A New Halogen-Free Polyiso Insulation from GAF
August 2, 2017Product Review
GAF now offers a full line of polyisocyanurate foam insulation that is free of toxic halogenated flame retardants.
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Reality Check for LEED v4 Product Credits
June 16, 2017News 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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Building Product Disclosure & Optimization (BPDO) Cheat Sheet
June 16, 2017Infographic
The three Building Product Disclosure and Optimization (BPDO) credits in LEED v4 are pushing the industry into new territory. USGBC has done a great job defining and spurring manufacturers to support some options, but others are not yet (as of mid-2017) achievable, for a range of reasons. So go after the easy ones, and don’t waste time on others until they’re within reach.
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Mineral Wool Batts Now Formaldehyde-Free
May 26, 2017Product Review
Thermafiber and Roxul have introduced the first formaldehyde-free mineral wool batt insulations, following the example set by the fiberglass insulation industry.
