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SCS Global FloorScore is a certification by SCS Global that
attests to the indoor air emissions of resilient and hard surface flooring
materials, including adhesives and underlayments. Assessed by third-party
ISO-17025 testing standards, FloorScore is used to test samples for specific
chemicals of concern and to…
The California Prop 65 List is a public index of naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals that are known to cause cancer and reproductive harm. This list was established by Proposition 65—a law officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986—to inform Californians about potential exposure…
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Mindful MATERIALS (mM) is a free online aggregator of sustainability information for design professionals and manufacturers. It was created in 2014 by HKS, an international architecture firm, as a user-friendly platform that promotes product transparency and optimization information across the industry. The mM L3C is a…
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The mindful MATERIALS (mM) label is a physical sticker placed on product binders in resource libraries to communicate information about manufacturer transparency and optimization. Labels are designed to facilitate identification of products whose manufacturers disclose information about their impact on human health and the environment. Products…
Chain-of-Custody (CoC) is the process of following materials through each step of the supply chain in order to verify appropriate management, quality control, and safety. Along the supply chain, materials go through various stages of production, processing, shipping, and retail. CoC systems are made up of a series of procedures,…
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The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a certification program for organically produced textiles including clothing, home textiles, and personal care products. It is managed by a nonprofit organization that receives support from the United States government. Textiles certified by GOTS are manufactured in accordance with…
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The GREENGUARD Certification Program—previously known as the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification—recognizes products and processes that meet standards for safe levels of chemical and particle emissions in indoor spaces. GREENGUARD is a third-party assessment program created by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Environment to support manufacturers in producing…
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GREENGUARD is a third-party assessment program created by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Environment to support manufacturers in producing safe products designed for indoor spaces, in accordance with strict VOC emissions standards. GREENGUARD Gold is even more rigorous, permitting no more than 1/100 of currently published ACGIH Threshold…
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SCS Indoor Advantage is a certification program developed by SCS Global Services that appraises the VOC emissions of furniture and interior building materials. SCS offers two certifications: Indoor Advantage, for furniture; and Indoor Advantage Gold, for furniture and building materials—including coatings, paints, sealants, adhesives, wallcoverings, floor…
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California Air Resources Board (CARB) is a committee within California’s Environmental Protection Agency whose role is to protect the public from exposure to air pollution. This includes setting statewide emission standards for pollution sources ranging from auto emissions to consumer products. Formaldehyde, a toxic air contaminant…
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CDPH (California Department of Public Health) / CHPS (Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security) Section 01350 is a United States standard that addresses the human health and environmental impacts of building materials used by the architecture and design community. Also known as the Standard Method for…
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Cradle to Cradle (C2C) is a product
standard administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) to
incentivize environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing practices. Based
on the principles outlined in their 2002 book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking
the Way We Make Things, authors William…
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Green Label Plus is a program created by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) to set standards for VOC emissions from carpets, cushions, and adhesives, and provide resources for consumers related to indoor air quality. It is a voluntary initiative that parallels testing emissions protocols used…
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Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) is a third-party certification system and global standard for green
buildings and communities. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC),
LEED is the world’s most widely used green building rating system. It provides
the tools for building industry…
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Post-consumer recycled content is material waste generated after the consumer-use phase of an item’s life cycle that is used to manufacture new products. To claim post-consumer content, manufacturers must disclose the percentage of recycled materials used, according to the item’s total weight. Use of either kind…
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Post-industrial recycled content, also known as pre-consumer recycled content, is material waste generated during mass production that is later used to manufacture new products. Unlike post-consumer recycled content, post-industrial material has been recycled before entering into contact with consumers and being sent to a landfill. In…
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a nonprofit organization committed
to transforming the nation’s construction industry by promoting the values of
the green building rating system Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Its mission is to facilitate healthier, more
socially and environmentally responsible buildings and communities that improve…
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The WELL Building Standard is a global rating
system that uses a point-based framework of best-practice policies to assess
the impact of the built environment on human health. WELL was founded by the
International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a public benefit corporation with
a mission to…
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The Declare Label is a transparency initiative by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) through which industrial manufacturers can opt to disclose their product ingredients. Declare Labels share a product’s key compositional and logistical information with specifiers and consumers, including its manufacturer, assembly location, life expectancy,…
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Declared refers to a declaration status indicating that a product has disclosed 100 percent of its ingredients present at or above 100ppm (0.01%), while also containing one or more Red List chemicals not listed as an existing exception. It is one of three declaration possibilities—along with…
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The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is a European Union law instated in 2007 to regulate harmful chemicals across all industries. It aims to protect human health and the environment from risks caused by exposure to chemicals. Managed by the European Chemicals Agency…
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The
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a non-profit organization committed to
advancing sustainable forest management. SFI’s standards and product labels aid
consumers in making responsible decisions and promote market visibility of
certified forest products, such as wood, paper, and packaging items. SFI has
developed a set…
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The
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a German-based, international non-profit
organization and certification framework working to promote responsible forest
management. The FSC uses independent, third-party accredited certifiers to
appraise operations and determine whether they comply to institutional
standards. Two certification tracks are available: Forest Management
Certification…
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The Healthier Hospitals (HH) program provides guidelines and resources for United States healthcare organizations to create more sustainable business models and incentivizes change across the healthcare industry. Healthier Hospitals is a free, voluntary program created by Practice Greenhealth to encourage hospitals to improve their health and…
The International Living Future Institute (ILFI), established in 2009 by members of the Cascadia Green Building Council, is a non-profit advocating for a socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative society. As the umbrella organization tasked with managing the Living Building Challenge, the Living Product Challenge, the Living Community Challenge,…
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An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a registered document that provides information about the environmental impact of a product across its life cycle. Unlike a label or certificate, an EPD is not an endorsement of a product’s environmental impact or its compliance with environmental standards. Rather,…
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A Health
Product Declaration (HPD) is a standardized report that is used to disclose the
contents of building materials, as well as their possible human health effects
and hazards. HPDs are overseen by the Health Product Declaration Collaborative
(HPDC), a non-profit organization with members from across…
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Living Building Challenge (LBC) Red
List Approved
is a
status indicating that a product is in compliance with the requirements of the
LBC Challenge, but that compliance is dependent on one or more exceptions. It
is one of three declaration possibilities (Red List Free and Declared…
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Living Building Challenge (LBC) Red List Free is a status indicating that a product contains none of the harmful chemicals listed on the Red List. It is one of three declaration possibilities—Red List Approved and Declared are the other two—on the International Living Future Institute’s (ILFI)…
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Recycled content, as opposed to virgin stock, is material that has been diverted from a landfill and subsequently used in the manufacturing of new product. Defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent false marketing claims, recycled content can be supplied from industrial or consumer…
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Low-emitting or low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are reduced concentrations of chemical contaminants in manufactured goods that, at significant levels, can be harmful to human health and the environment. VOC emissions can be released from household products like paints, solvents, carpets, wood composites, and cleaning products,…
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Non-phthalate vinyls are PVC products that do not contain phthalate plasticizers, which can be harmful to human and animal health. Phthalate has long been used to make PVC softer and more pliable, but in response to recent studies about its toxicity, American and European manufacturers of…
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Reclaimed wood is structurally sound wood that has been salvaged from a building project and reused to extend its lifespan. When buildings are decommissioned, abandoned, or slated for demolition, intact components can be recovered through a dismantling process to be used in new construction or remodeling.…
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Ships carbon neutral is an indicator
that activities associated with a product’s transportation release a net zero
amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. There are two main
strategies for achieving carbon neutrality in shipping: offsetting greenhouse
gas emissions and using alternative fuel sources. The…
A declaration is a report that provides quantified,
transparent information about a product’s environmental performance and
material ingredients. It can be used by building industry professionals to
facilitate comparison with similar products and to help manufacturers qualify
for transparency credits in green building rating systems. Declarations can be
published as…
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method, or BREEAM, was the world’s first widely used green building certification
system. Developed in the 1990s in the UK by Building Research Establishment
(BRE), today BREEAM is used in over 80 countries.1 BREAAM
certification demonstrates a building project’s sustainability and its
commitment to protecting…
Environmental Justice is the equitable distribution of
environmental burdens and benefits, and of meaningful participation in
environmental decision-making. This means that all people have
the right to equal protection from environmental and health hazards, and the
right to live, work, play, worship, or learn in safe, healthy communities.1 The
US…
The Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a unit of measurement
developed to compare the atmospheric global warming impacts of gases. It tells
us how long a gas remains in the atmosphere, and how much energy it absorbs
over a given time period, relative to 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2).…
SCS Global Services is a third-party certification body that
also develops its own standards. It develops environmental, sustainability,
food safety, and quality performance standards, as well as auditing and
certification programs. It works internationally, initiating partnerships with
companies, government agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to achieve
sustainable development goals and…
Social Equity, at its simplest, can be understood as impartiality, fairness, and justice for all people.1 This means taking into account systemic inequalities to ensure that that everyone has access to the same opportunities and outcomes. Equity acknowledges that inequalities exist and works to eliminate them. It means that regardless…
The American Conference
of Governmental Industrial Hygienists’ (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs)
refer to a set of guidelines regarding the airborne concentrations of chemical
substances that workers can be safely exposed to over their working lifetime.
The ACGIH developed TLVs as a tool for industrial hygienists to make informed
decisions…
Formaldehyde is a volatile organic chemical (VOC) used as a
preservative, disinfectant, and binding agent in the building industry.1
It has been designated as a
carcinogen by the World Health Organization and California’s Proposition 65,
and a Hazardous Air Pollutant by the US Environmental Protection Agency. It is a key…
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a standardized set of
procedures used to quantify the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental
impacts of products or systems across their entire life cycle. LCAs promote the
redesign and responsible design of products and processes to reduce harm to the
environment.1 The life cycle is…
The Perkins & Will Precautionary List is a compilation of
hazardous chemicals that are used in the building, design, and construction
industry. The list was developed by Perkins & Will, an architecture and
planning firm whose aim is to provide industry professionals with a tool to
analyze the health and…
Plasticizers
are additives used with plastics and vinyls to improve their flexibility and
resistance. They are typically made of lightweight, volatile molecules that are
either non-polymeric materials or polymer impact modifiers. Many plasticizers
can also help control viscosity and aid in dispersion of additives like fillers
and pigments.1 Phthalates
are…
REACH
Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) are chemicals that pose a serious
threat to human health and the environment, as evaluated by the European
Chemical Agency (ECHA). They are regulated through the
Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH),
a European Union law instated in 2007. The SVHC…
The Red
List is an index of the most harmful and polluting materials used in the
building industry. It was created by the International Living Future Institute
(ILFI) to identify and eliminate pollutants, substances that are harmful to construction
and factory workers, and chemicals that bio-accumulate up the food chain…
Six Classes is a framework developed by the Green Science Policy Institute to provide information about many of the harmful chemicals used in building materials and consumer products, in order to minimize their use. Rather than creating a list of chemicals of concern, Six Classes groups chemicals into six categories.…
A third party is an objective, independent person or
organization. Product testing, evaluation, certification, and reporting is
often performed by a third party in order to ensure reliability. In order to be
independent, third parties must have no conflicts of interest, financial,
personal, or otherwise, with involved parties such as…
Toxicity refers to the potential of a substance to cause harm
to the living body. Toxic substances, or toxicants, can be naturally occurring
(such as lead), synthetic (like phthalates), or produced by a living organism
(like mold). Those produced by a living organism fall into a subclassification
of toxicants called…
Biodegradation is the breakdown or decomposition of materials
by microorganisms. It refers to the processes that transform materials into
less complex compounds that can be used and reused by living systems.
Biodegradation is used for waste management and environmental remediation, also
known as bioremediation. It is an important process that…
The
Circular Economy is a framework that aims to reduce environmental impacts and
generate economic growth by eliminating waste and reusing resources. This model
is an alternative to the traditional linear economic system, which presumes the
existence and accessibility of unlimited natural resources, and in which a
product’s life cycle…
In the building industry, compliance means acting in adherence to a set of regulations, standards, or codes. It indicates that a product, project, or process fulfills all official requirements. Designers, manufacturers, and other professionals may need to demonstrate compliance to internal management, regulators, the government, customers, or independent third parties.…
The
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Basic Level Restricted Substances List (RSL) is a
register of the chemicals that are banned from use in Cradle to Cradle
Certified products above certain thresholds. These substances have been found
to be harmful or toxic to the environment and human health.1 The RSL
was…
The
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Material Health Certificate recognizes products that
avoid the use of harmful chemicals or toxic materials, in accordance with
Cradle to Cradle’s Certified Product Standard. The C2C product standard is
administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) to
incentivize environmentally and socially responsible…
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency of the
United States federal government whose mission is to protect human health and
the environment. It was established in 1970 to ensure that all Americans have
access to clean air, land, and water, and that related federal laws are
administered and…
EPA Chemicals of Concern is a list compiled by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) containing chemical substances found to be harmful or toxic to human health and the environment. This list was published in accordance with a 2016 amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which requires…
Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements with high
densities relative to water, which are toxic at low concentrations.1
They are part of an ill-defined subset of elements with metallic properties,
usually categorized as metals or metalloids.2 In trace amounts, many
of these elements are necessary to sustain life, but when…
Lead is a naturally occurring metal found in small amounts in
the earth’s crust. It is considered a heavy metal because of its high density
and toxicity at low concentrations. Although it is toxic to humans and animals,
it is used in industrial activities such as burning fossil fuels, mining,…
Phthalates
are a group of harmful chemicals that are primarily used to soften plastics and
vinyls in many consumer and industrial products. Around 90% of phthalates are
used as plasticizers to improve the flexibility and durability of plastics and
products made of polyvinylchloride (PVC).1 Others
are used as solvents and…
A
product life cycle is an assessment of resource consumption, performance, and
environmental impacts at each phase of an industrial product’s life. It
consists of the extraction of raw materials, the processing of those materials,
manufacturing, shipping, use, maintenance, and finally disposal or recycling. Life
cycle assessment is based on…
A supply chain is a coordinated system of processes, information, resources, physical locations, and service providers that are responsible for a product’s manufacturing, storage, distribution, and retail.1 All activities between the extraction of raw materials and the product’s acquisition by an end customer make up part of the supply chain.…
Volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) are chemical contaminants that, at significant levels, can be
harmful to human health and the environment. VOCs are volatile, meaning that
they evaporate readily, and organic, which means that they contain carbon
atoms. There are several exceptions that do not fall under VOC categorization,
including carbon…
Wastewater refers to any water that has been used by humans.
It includes water that has been contaminated by domestic, industrial,
agricultural, and commercial use, and from stormwater runoff and infiltration.1
After use, water must be treated to reduce pollutants before being released
into the environment. Wastewater is collected in…
A certification provides
third-party confirmation that a product, project, process, or system fulfills
the requirements of a given standard. Certification programs vary in method or
philosophy. They can be divided into multi-attribute and single-attribute
programs. A single-attribute certification focuses on just one factor, like
water use, energy use, or chemical…
