Sustainable Materials
Parent
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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How to Get from VOC Certifications to Better Products
Feature Short
The FDA regulates flies in our soup, but no one regulates VOCs in our indoor air. Somehow that’s a designer’s job to figure out.
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VOCs in LEED and Other Rating Systems
Feature Short
Most building certifications encourage low-emitting and low-VOC products, but they all do it differently. Here’s how it all fits together.
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The Questionable Science Behind VOC Emissions Testing
Feature Short
We need the protection that product VOC testing provides, but it’s far from the last word on human health in buildings.
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How Six Affordable Housing Projects Got to Green
Feature Short
Stories of designers and developers who overcame the challenges of building affordable housing that is also green, sustainable, and healthy.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Chromium-6: Health and Life-Cycle Hazards
Explainer
Chrome-plated and stainless-steel products may not expose us directly to the hazards of hexavalent chromium, but their life cycle releases it into the environment.
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Forest Products Certification: How It Works
Explainer
Many wood and paper products now come with an eco-label. But what happens behind the scenes before a product gets the seal of approval?
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PBT Chemicals: Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic
Explainer
You've heard of persistent toxic chemicals, and bioaccumulation, but what do these things really mean, and what do they do?
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The Many Faces of Reclaimed Wood
Explainer
Some types of reclaimed wood count as "salvaged materials" that contribute to points in LEED and help comply with green building codes while others do not.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Countertops
Product Guide
Select the surface that meets the design objectives, meets health and environmental criteria, and has the greatest durability.
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Broadloom Carpet
Product Guide
These broadloom carpets are made with natural wool or are certified NSF 140 Platinum or Cradle to Cradle v3.1 Silver or Gold. Many are free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
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Modular Carpet
Product Guide
These carpet tiles are made with natural wool or are certified NSF 140 Platinum or Cradle to Cradle v3.1 Silver or Gold. They are free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
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Composite Wood
Product Guide
Medium-density fiberboard and particleboard are non-structural panels manufactured from sawmill waste that is typically held together with phenol formaldehyde (PF), melamine formaldehyde (MF), or urea formaldehyde (UF), resins. Formaldehyde-free methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) resins are also used.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Window and Door Makers Offer FSC-Certified Options
News Analysis
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Home Depot Rolls Out Green Labeling
News Analysis
Building supply retailer Home Depot introduces a labeling program it hopes will educate consumers about environmentally preferable products.
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Cradle to Cradle Recognized in LEED
News Analysis
The U.S. Green Building Council will allow projects using products earning Cradle to Cradle certification to qualify for an innovation credit in the LEED Rating System.
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California Limits Allowable Formaldehyde in Wood Panels
News Analysis
New regulations from CARB set thresholds for formaldehyde emissions that are somewhat less stringent than first anticipated.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Opinion: Seven Things Manufacturers Wish You Understood About EPDs
Op-Ed
Some manufacturers say creating EPDs has improved their products. But they also have important messages for the design community.
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Opinion: Chemical Ingredients in Building Products—What Do You Really Need to Know?
Op-Ed
HPDs can’t be used in isolation to make decisions about the safety and environmental performance of a product.
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Finding HPDs: How We Do It At BuildingGreen
Op-Ed
There are several ways you can find Health Product Declarations. Here’s a look at them, including what BuildingGreen offers.
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Opinion: Transparency Is Just the Beginning—How Manufacturers Can Use HPDs
Op-Ed
Ingredient inventories and assessment are important. But ultimately, we need to design for an indefinite future.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Build Green on a Budget: Lessons from Affordable Housing
Spotlight Report
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Constructing Change: The Contractor’s Commitment
Feature
The Contractor’s Commitment to Sustainable Building Practices calls on construction firms to practice green building. Here’s why the whole industry needs to get behind it.
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Build More or Build Green? Affordable Housing’s False Choice
Feature
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.
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Biobased Building Materials: the Hype, the Hope, the … Hemp?
Webcast
This webcast explores the promising future of biobased materials in commercial construction.
Just For Fun
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