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
Primer
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
Primer
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)
Primer
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
Primer
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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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.
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An Air Barrier Engineered for Real-World Jobsites
Product Review
The continuity of air and water barriers depends on the quality of workmanship, and Prosoco’s Cat 5 system is hard to get wrong.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Health Product Declaration Collaborative Teams Up with USGBC
News Brief
A strategic partnership between HPDC and the U.S. Green Building Council aims to scale material transparency.
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Declare Labels: Now with Improved Data and Verification
News Brief
A new partnership between the International Living Future Institute and Toxnot will help manufacturers provide better-quality health information.
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Manufacturers to Architects: Buy Greener Products or They May Go Away
News Analysis
Designers asked for transparency and got it. Now they need to follow through with specs, say producers.
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A Chemical Database and Discussion Group in One
News Brief
The Chemical Hazard Data Commons is a resource on toxic chemicals for geeks and newbies alike.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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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.
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Opinion: Transparency Is Just the Beginning—How Manufacturers Can Use HPDs
Op-Ed
Ingredient inventories and assessment are important. But ultimately, we need to design for an indefinite future.
