Sustainable Materials

Deep Dives

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

Behind the Logos: Understanding Green Product Certifications

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The number of environmental product standards and certifications is growing rapidly, putting numerous different "green" logos on products. This article reviews the key programs and evaluates their rigor, and offers guidance in using them to accomplish project goals.
The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do about It

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Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on. Here’s how thoughtful design can reduce global warming impact.
Waste Not, Want Not: Case Studies of Building Material Reuse

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Reclamation and reuse of building materials can be a tough sell and hard to design for, but many project teams have learned to make it work. Here’s how.
Build More or Build Green? Affordable Housing’s False Choice

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The housing crisis is also a climate crisis and a social equity crisis. If we change our ways, we can address them all at once.

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.

BuildingGreen Announces 2008 Top-10 Green Products

Product Review

BuildingGreen's 2008 Top-10 Green Products include FSC-certified bamboo flooring, zero-VOC paints, and an integrated heating and ventilation system, among others.
Knauf Introduces Ecose Biobased Binder

Product Review

Knauf's EcoBatt insulation uses a new biobased binder with no added formaldehyde, although it has not revealed the proprietary ingredients.
Matrix Total Home System Offers All-in-One Efficiency

Product Review

The Matrix Total Home System from NTI is an energy-efficient mechanical system that includes forced-air and hydronic heating as well as energy recovery and ventilation in one space-efficient unit.
Hypewatch: Energy Savings Claims from Power Conditioning Equipment

Product Review

Power conditioning devices often promise across-the-board energy savings, but the claims don't hold up in practice. These devices are good, however, for solving specific power quality problems.

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

Can TimberSIL Manufacturer 'Make It Right'?

News Analysis

Timber Treatment Technologies and its innovative non-toxic treated decking product are in the news again-this time over durability and performance in post-Katrina homes.
Market Winnows Treated Wood Alternatives

News Analysis
NSF Wallcovering Standard Papers Over Vinyl Problems

News Analysis

NSF 342, a sustainability assessment for wallcoverings, tells us almost nothing about a critical issue: health risks from conventional vinyl products.
Low Climate Impact of New Blowing Agents Confirmed

News Analysis

The IPCC has deemed Honeywell’s Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent, an HFO that can be used to produce insulation, to have extremely low global warming potential.

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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