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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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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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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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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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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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.
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Five Ways Project Teams Are Using HPDs
Feature Short
An architect, a specifier, and a building owner walk into a bar. Then they talk about how ingredient transparency informs their work.
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In Search of High-Quality Hazard Data: HPDs Have Promise, but Most Aren’t Helpful Yet
Feature Short
HPD version 1.0’s promise of greater material transparency didn’t always deliver, but version 2.0 should provide accurate reporting.
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Dances with Hazards: How Real Experts Pull Human Health into Design
Feature Short
John and Catherine prove that designers can work successfully with HPDs, especially if they have a toxicology consultant to support their multi-faceted selection process.
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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.
