Google recently announced that all of its future buildings will be built with no materials or chemicals that are on the Living Building Challenge’s Red List (p.29). This includes materials that contain such ingredients as mercury, asbestos, PVC, formaldehyde and lead.  This announcement ignited quite a fire under building material vendors since new buildings are constructed for Google at an astonishing pace of 40,000 square feet of office space per week.

Google relied on sources such as The International Living Building Challenge, the Healthy Building Network and the EPA’s Chemicals of Concern list to advise them on this decision.  These organizations work to identify and eliminate the worst chemicals in building materials, improve the health of the environment and buildings, and support the goals of other best practice programs like the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification.

More than 60,000 new chemicals have been introduced into our environment since 1960, corresponding to increases in autoimmune and endocrine disorders and respiratory diseases. This has raised concerns about chemicals’ effects on public health, with more attention now focused on indoor air quality.  According to the EPA, certain pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are 10 times more concentrated indoors than outside.  Older homes are especially of concern, where older insulation, shingles and floor tiles may contain asbestos and old paint may contain lead. Formaldehyde, recently flagged as a known carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is commonly found in pressed wood products like particleboard and fiberboard, and as an additive in drywall.

How do we find out about safer and healthier building products? Various certification programs can help: 

Cradle2Cradle’s Products Innovation Institute in San Francisco, CA, focuses on a closed-loop design approach to ensure  products are designed to be manufactured safely, deconstructed and reused at the end of their lifespan. Cradle2Cradle certifies that products have been designed and manufactured with stringent criteria for safe and appropriately-sourced materials, material reutilization, use of renewable energy, release of clean water, and social fairness.  .  To date, roughly 90 companies have used this system, certifying nearly 400 products ranging from architectural glass to concrete and bricks. 

The MAS Certified Green program ensures that products meet tough emission standards to be considered low-VOC. These certified products also qualify for LEED points in the Indoor Air Quality section.

EcoLogo’s Building & Construction category lists materials that are environmentally-preferable, such as gypsum wallboard and various types of insulation.

For building materials, check out the Pharos Project, a robust subscription program that connects you with a network of building professionals and manufacturers committed to transparency and sustainability.  It maintains two tools that help users choose safe and healthy building materials: 

1)  A chemical and materials list provides transparency in building material content and lists health hazards of more than 10,000 chemicals and materials

2) A building products library scores materials based on environmental and health impact. 

Each product listed receives a 1-10 score based on five attributes:  VOCs, toxicity for the user, toxicity in manufacturing, use of renewable materials, and use of renewable energy. Each quarter more than 100 new materials are added to the project’s database. Currently this library includes thermal insulation, standard paints, resilient flooring, wallboard, ceilings, high performance coatings, MDF/particleboard/wheatboard and carpet.

Finally, Green Building Supply companies offer a wide range of products for builders, remodelers and homeowners.  They offer sustainable and non-toxic materials like natural flooring, non-toxic stains and paints, 100% recyclable insulation, eco-friendly cabinets and countertops, solar water heating systems, energy-efficient windows and lighting, FSC-certified wood and more.  However, beware of the various definitions of “green,” “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.”  Ask questions about chemical content, third party certifications, the material’s content, and if it’s recyclable. Attend your local remodeling and building conferences and find out who’s leading the green movement in your area.

According to a recent article, by 2030 about half of the buildings in America will have been built after the year 2000.   This presents an incredible opportunity  for sustainability.  Remodelers, homebuilders, and commercial builders now have a chance to make the best choices in building materials  for outdoor and indoor environments.  Change is coming!

Written by :

Linda J Fox