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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LEED v4 and EPDs: How’s That Market Disruption Working Out for You?
Feature Short
More EPDs are appearing as a result of LEED v4, even as problems with data quality get worked out on the fly.
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What’s an HPD? Health Product Declaration FAQs
Feature Short
We answer frequently asked questions on HPDs, which allow manufacturers to disclose product ingredients and hazards.
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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.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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You Can Now Specify Low-Embodied-Carbon Steel
Product Review
ClarkDietrich is now offering low-embodied-carbon cold-rolled steel products that meet the federal purchasing requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act and Buy Clean Act.
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Products at an Exposition
Product Review
These are select products from the Greenbuild expo floor, highlighting natural materials, innovative new technologies, and important updates.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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USGBC, Chemical Industry Reach Historic Compromise on Product Optimization
News Analysis
Option 3 of the LEED v4 Material Ingredients credit rewards manufacturers for chemical management up the supply chain.
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Phthalates Absorbed More Readily Than Previously Thought
News Analysis
SVOCs like phthalates are released into the air, according to a new study, so you’re breathing and absorbing them, not just eating them.
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New Ways to Meet LEED v4 Ingredient Disclosure
News Analysis
LEED addenda for April 2016 add BIFMA, C2C Material Health, Declare, and the Globally Harmonized System for classifying chemicals.
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LEED Pilot Credit to Promote Product Transparency-Not Performance
News Analysis
USGBC wants to increase product transparency through certifications, but will its members buy the idea that approved standards are not being endorsed?
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Let’s Talk: Mainstreaming Transparency Takes More than Letters
Op-Ed
To move the building industry toward greener products, there are two big things we need to do.
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Thanks To You, Transparency is Reaching Deeper into the Supply Chain
Op-Ed
The A&D community’s “ask” for ingredient transparency continues to move entire industries toward healthier products, especially now with the Supplier HPD.
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A Manufacturer’s Guide to a Successful Sustainability Platform
Op-Ed
Manufacturers have a unique role in sustainable building and LEED—and they don’t need to leave profits behind. Here’s a manufacturer’s guide to improving and promoting green products.
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SFI Takes Issue with Recent Wood Certification Report
Op-Ed
In a letter to the editor, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative details eight objections to BuildingGreen’s evaluation of its programs.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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