Material Transparency
Material transparency allows building professionals to research hidden product impacts like embodied carbon, toxic ingredients or byproducts, and social responsibility in the supply chain.
Manufacturers may release many types of documents in order to facilitate transparency. These include:
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Environmental product declarations (EPDs), which show the environmental impacts of producing and disposing of a product
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Health product declarations (HPDs), which disclose ingredients and their toxicity profiles
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Corporate sustainability reports, which look at the overall environmental impacts of a whole company
Material Transparency
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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What’s an HPD? Health Product Declaration FAQs
Feature Short
We answer frequently asked questions on HPDs, which allow manufacturers to disclose product ingredients and hazards.
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Finding Products for LEED v4 and v4.1
Feature Article
Finding and managing product information for LEED has changed—and v4.1 has added even more to think about.
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Why Chemical Transparency Matters
Feature Article
You can’t manage what you don’t measure—especially if you don’t know it exists in the first place.
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EPDs Are the Future of the Building Industry, Whether You Like It or Not
Feature Article
Environmental product declarations are taking off, but can they actually fly? Experts share the ups and downs of this promising but imperfect transparency tool.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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EPD Quick-Start Guide: 5 Easy Steps
Infographic
Use these tips to get what you need from an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), fast.
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The 8 Shades of Greenwash: How Many Do You Recognize?
Infographic
Most building products these days have an environmental angle to their sales pitches. Many are legit, but as ever, you still have to watch for the telltale signs of greenwash—the practice of inventing or exaggerating the environmental benefits of a product.
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HPD Quick-Start Guide: 5 Easy Steps
Infographic
How to get solid information from a Health Product Declaration (HPD), in just five steps.
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The 12 Product Rules
Infographic
These 12 product rules provide a simple approach to selecting better, healthier, and more environmentally responsible building products and materials.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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You Can Now Specify Low-Embodied-Carbon Steel
Product Review
ClarkDietrich is now offering low-embodied-carbon cold-rolled steel products that meet the federal purchasing requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act and Buy Clean Act.
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Wallboard
Product Guide
Wallboard with high recycled content and Greenguard Gold certification
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A New Halogen-Free Polyiso Insulation from GAF
Product Review
GAF now offers a full line of polyisocyanurate foam insulation that is free of toxic halogenated flame retardants.
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Mineral Wool Batts Now Formaldehyde-Free
Product Review
Thermafiber and Roxul have introduced the first formaldehyde-free mineral wool batt insulations, following the example set by the fiberglass insulation industry.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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IRA Accelerates Low-Carbon Building Products
News Brief
EPA shares its plan for a low-embodied-carbon labeling program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.
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Can “Works with WELL” Make Product Selection Easier?
News Analysis
The International WELL Building Institute has launched a new program to help users find building products and systems that align with WELL feature requirements.
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IRA to Fund the Creation of EPDs, but Note the January Deadline
News Brief
A new IRA grant program will provide $100 million to help U.S. manufacturers create EPDs used to track greenhouse gas emissions, but the timeline for applications is January 16, 2024.
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PFAS Found in Paint but Not on the Ingredient List
News Brief
According to the Healthy Building Network, the paint you use might contain PFAS compounds, even if they are not disclosed on the ingredient list.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Google Goes Public with Ambitious Carpet Tile Standard
Blog Post
With a new procurement program, Google adopted comprehensive sustainability requirements for modular carpet tile that raise the bar for major manufacturers.
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A Manufacturer’s Guide to a Successful Sustainability Platform
Op-Ed
Manufacturers have a unique role in sustainable building and LEED—and they don’t need to leave profits behind. Here’s a manufacturer’s guide to improving and promoting green products.
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Thanks To You, Transparency is Reaching Deeper into the Supply Chain
Op-Ed
The A&D community’s “ask” for ingredient transparency continues to move entire industries toward healthier products, especially now with the Supplier HPD.
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Let’s Talk: Mainstreaming Transparency Takes More than Letters
Op-Ed
To move the building industry toward greener products, there are two big things we need to do.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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The BuildingGreen Guide to Building Product Certifications and Ecolabels- Discounted
Special Report
This BuildingGreen publication provides a no-nonsense guide to the world of green building product certifications to help designers, purchasers, manufacturers, and others in the industry to focus on what is significant and relevant so that market forces can work and the industry can focus on bigger issues.
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The BuildingGreen Guide to Building Product Certifications and Ecolabels
Special Report
This BuildingGreen publication provides a no-nonsense guide to the world of green building product certifications to help designers, purchasers, manufacturers, and others in the industry to focus on what is significant and relevant so that market forces can work and the industry can focus on bigger issues.
