Sustainable Materials
Parent
Sustainable Materials
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
-
VOCs: Why They’re Still Here and What You Can Do About It
Feature
“Sick building syndrome” was one of the first problems the green building community tried to solve. We’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet.
-
20 Ways to Advance Sustainability in the Next Four Years
Feature
https://www.thuleenergystorage.com/In this age of political revolution and environmental urgency, it’s time to step back and take a look at priorities, challenges, and opportunities
-
Better Steel, Lower Impacts
Feature
Steel’s reputation for high embodied energy and carbon emissions are well documented, but improvements in processing, product selection, and end use can minimize these impacts.
-
Affordable Housing and Sustainable Design: The Goals Are Aligned
Feature
Green building is not just for those with means.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
Beneficial Bacteria Reduce Urinal Water Use
Product Review
The Ecoblue Cube uses beneficial bacteria to convert conventional flushing urinals to virtually waterless operation without significant installation costs, and avoiding the common pitfalls of waterless urinals.
-
PlybooPure is Formaldehyde Free
Product Review
The PlybooPure line of bamboo flooring and panel products from Smith & Fong uses a polyisocyanurate binder, making it urea-formaldehyde-free.
-
Smaller Copper Particles, Smaller Environmental Impact for Treated Wood
Product Review
With its MicroPro treated wood, Osmose is one of several companies making innovations in copper preservative techniques. MicroPro's use of tiny copper particles offers environmental benefits when compared with conventional copper treatment.
-
Decorative Ceiling Panel Uses Recycled Content
Product Review
Chicago Metallic has introduced Monarch GE, a decorative ceiling panel system using gypsum and 70% recycled content from glass.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
To Be Banned in Europe: Which Chemicals? Which Building Products?
News Analysis
The European Union (EU) has announced that it will restrict the use of six chemicals used in common building materials.
-
Carpets with No Added Stain or Dirt Repellents?
News Analysis
Perfluorochemicals stick around in our groundwater much longer than they stick on the carpet they're supposed to protect. Interface and Bentley Prince Street now offer carpets that use sulfonated fibers and don't require PFCs.
-
World Trade Center Construction Uses Onsite Composting
News Analysis
The One World Trade Center construction project in New York has been using food and waste composting systems during the first phase of construction, to be completed in 2013.
-
New Polystyrene Flame Retardant Uses Old Chemistry
News Analysis
Dow releases a new brominated flame retardant, which sparks watchdog groups concern.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
