Sustainable Materials

Deep Dives

Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.

EPDs Are the Future of the Building Industry, Whether You Like It or Not

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Environmental product declarations are taking off, but can they actually fly? Experts share the ups and downs of this promising but imperfect transparency tool.
What Makes Plumbing Green? BuildingGreen’s Guide to Plumbing Products

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People like a clean flush and a long shower, but water is getting scarcer. Selecting the right building products can meet both needs.
Circular Economy at Scale: Six International Case Studies

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These teams are applying radical life-cycle thinking to entire projects—and redefining what building ownership means in the process.
Why Chemical Transparency Matters

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You can’t manage what you don’t measure—especially if you don’t know it exists in the first place.

Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.

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Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.

Agrifiber-Plastic Composite Privacy Fencing Introduced

Product Review

Heartland Biocomposites combines wheat straw with post-consumer high-density polyethylene to create its durable, insect-resistant PrairieFence line.
Search for Green Wiring Gets a LifeGuard

Product Review

Although not yet widely used in building applications, LifeGuard nonhalogenated cable offers a green alternative to PVC cable.
Phoenix Solar Tank Does it All-Efficiently

Product Review

The Phoenix Solar hot water tank stores both primary solar-heated and secondary gas-heated water.
Alpen Fiberglass Windows-Leading the High-Performance Race

Product Review

Alpen Energy Group manufacturers some of the highest-performing windows in the world, with center-of-glass R-values reaching R-20 in some cases.

We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.

Master Painters Institute's New "Extreme Green" Standard

News Analysis

MPI has released a new standard with tight restrictions on volatile organic compounds.
Energy Star Beefs Up Requirements and Enforcement

News Analysis

After an embarrassing report pointed out flaws in the system, Energy Star is revamping its standards, certification processes, and image.
EPA Proposes Disposal Rules for Coal Ash

News Analysis

EPA has proposed two approaches to regulating coal ash not used in concrete or other materials.
Canadian Timber Companies in Landmark Environmental Deal

News Analysis

Twenty-one Canadian forest companies and nine environmental organizations have signed the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, creating a three-year plan for sustainable forest management. The plan will protect the habitat of many species by halting the logging of 29 million of the 72 million hectares included. The agreement is effective immediately with goals set at 6 and 18 months.

Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.

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Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.

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