Sustainable Materials
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Sustainable Materials
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
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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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Take Control of Your Materials: Four Empowering Lessons from Teams That Beat the Red List
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Need to streamline your product vetting process? These LBC project teams have it down to a science, and anyone can apply their methods.
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Certified Wood: How SFI Compares to FSC
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FSC-certified wood is ingrained in rating systems like LEED, but rival SFI has a revised standard. Can it show it’s just as good on the issues that matter most?
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Finding Furniture Without Toxic Flame Retardants
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Flame retardants in upholstered furniture are easier to avoid under new rules, but they’re not gone. Here’s how to navigate the changing landscape.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Enertia Double-Envelope Home Still Has Problems
Product Review
Although its passive solar design is sound, the Enertia double-envelope home's energy performance claims may be overstated and its design presents fire risks.
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TerraClad Rainscreen Cladding
Product Review
Boston Valley uses high-efficiency kilns to make this handsome recycled-content terra cotta rainscreen.
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SierraPine Bets on Phenolic Particleboard
Product Review
Encore particleboard, containing 100% recycled wood fiber, is made with a phenol-formaldehyde binder.
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Carnegie Introduces Surface IQ Wallcoverings
Product Review
Surface IQ polyethylene wallcoverings use natural clay fire retardants and offer optional microperforations to reduce the risk of moisture buildup.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Wind Turbine Certification Forthcoming
News Analysis
A new performance standard for small wind turbines being developed by the American Wind Energy Association will be used by the newly formed Small Wind Certification Council to certify wind turbine durability and performance based on standardized wind conditions.
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BuildingGreen Announces 2009 Top-10 Green Products
News Analysis
BuildingGreen's annual list of Top-10 Green Building Products recognizes the most exciting products from recent additions to the GreenSpec directory and coverage in EBN.
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Dow Styrofoam Cradle to Cradle Certified, Despite Chemistry
News Analysis
Dow Chemical's Styrofoam extruded polystyrene has been awarded Cradle-to-Cradle Silver certification by MBDC, despite some questionable environmental characteristics.
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Industry Agrees to Phase Out DecaBDE Flame Retardant
News Analysis
Through an agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and three chemical manufacturers, the brominated flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) will be phased out by the end of 2013.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Press Release: Major Green Building Orgs Team Up on Material Education
Blog Post
Mindful MATERIALS has partnered with BuildingGreen to expand knowledge of the Common Materials Framework across the building product manufacturing and AEC industries.
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Embodied Carbon on a Roll
Blog Post
The carbon that’s emitted when we produce materials and construct our buildings is finally getting the attention it deserves.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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