OVERVIEW
Is wood a sustainable material? It depends: a table made from reclaimed wood has a much smaller environmental footprint than one sourced from a monoculture plantation that replaced a rainforest.
Defining responsible material sourcing—and then finding responsibly sourced products—is complicated. Here you will find in-depth resources that detail the benefits and challenges of using biobased materials, reclaimed wood, fly ash, and other materials. Our resources also detail which companies and industries are ahead of the curve in offering responsible choices.
What about the materials you don’t use? Using less is always a good idea—as long as that doesn’t compromise performance.
Doing more with less takes knowledge and attention: it’s about investing in human resources instead of wasting natural resources. And since our small planet has more humans every day, we’re not likely to run out of them anytime soon. Durability, efficient structural systems, and repairing and retrofitting rather than replacing are all key strategies to consider.
IN-DEPTH
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Reality Check for LEED v4 Product Credits
News 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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Legal Wood in LEED Barks Up Wrong Tree, Say NGOs
News Analysis
A pilot credit to address illegal logging has been criticized by advocacy groups like the Sierra Club. They’ve offered USGBC their own ideas.
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LEED Pilots Legal Wood, Expansion of Certified Wood
News Analysis
A pilot credit calls attention to illegal logging while also opening LEED to SFI and other certifications.
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Plum Creek SFI Certification, Audit Process Challenged in Oregon
News Analysis
An Oregon nonprofit is seeking to suspend Plum Creek’s SFI certificate in Oregon due to legal violations. The company says it has already addressed the issues.
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Major Canadian Timber Company Loses FSC Certification
News Analysis
Accused of trampling indigenous rights and disrupting caribou, Resolute Forest Products has months to clean up its act before FSC paper and lumber supplies are affected.
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Architects Push for Clearer EPDs with 2030 Challenge
News Analysis
Input from practitioners is needed, says Architecture 2030, to develop a more readable format for life-cycle data and environmental product declarations.
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Waiting for Take-Back Programs for Building Materials
News Analysis
LEED now gives credit for products with extended producer responsibility, or EPR programs, but so far these rarely extend beyond batteries and carpet.
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Campaign Calls Wood Pellets 'Environmental Disaster'
News Analysis
NRDC warns that Europe's appetite for wood pellets threatens America's Southeastern forests.
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A 2030 Challenge for Building Products
News Analysis
Cutting the energy use of buildings is crucial, but it's not the only concern. Designers and manufacturers turn their attention to the carbon footprint of building products with the 2030 Challenge for Products.
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A 2030 Challenge for Building Product Manufacturers
News Analysis
Cutting the energy use of buildings is crucial, but the building products themselves are a shorter-term greenhouse gas concern. Architecture 2030 launches a Challenge for Products to address embodied carbon.
