product transparency: the brave new world · 2015. 12. 17. · product transparency: the brave new...

Product Transparency:

the Brave New World

Health Product

Declaration Collaborative

Nadav MalinPresident

TM

Aaron SmithDirector, Sustainable Building Solutions

Jennifer AtleeTechnical Liason

Art: Guy Billout, from GreenSource magazine

NESEA is a registered provider with the American Institute of

Architects Continuing Education Systems. Credit earned on

completion of this program will be reported to CES Records

for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA

members will be mailed at the completion of the conference.

This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

Session Description

There is a rapidly growing movement within the building products industry to embrace transparency and avoid using toxic chemicals. Programs like the Health Product Declaration (HPD) are empowering consumers to demand transparency and creating new platforms for manufacturers to communicate. The panel will provide an overview of the initiatives driving the movement, analyze the persistent barriers to transparency from the manufacturer perspectives and outline how market leading companies are embracing programs to connect with consumers.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Describe what transparency means in the context of building materials.

2. Explain how Environmental Product Declarations and Health Product Declarations differ.

3. List at least three programs that encourage product content transparency.

4. Describe how transparency can save us from drowning in red lists.

The Age of Transparency is Here • A major focus of green building standards and codes is

transparency• Implies openness, communication, and accountability• Accessibility of information such as product chemical

content, health and environmental impacts• Balance of responsible transparency and interpretation

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Why Materials Matter

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Operating Impacts

Embodied Impacts

Relative Embodied Impacts

Ecology of Building Materials

The Earth

Extractionprocess

Metals, chemicals,

cement, firedclay, fibre, sawn timber,

etc.

Refiningprocess

Materials,climatic materials, surface materials,

surface treatment

Buildingprocess

Building

UseWasteDumping

Recycling Re-use

Ore, stone, clay, oil, timber,

plants, etc.

MiningDrilling

Harvesting

Ore

Oil

Timber

Bjorn Berge

Life Cycle Assessment

The Earth

Extractionprocess

Metals, chemicals,

cement, firedclay, fibre, sawn timber,

etc.

Refiningprocess

Materials,climatic materials, surface materials,

surface treatment

Buildingprocess

Building

UseWasteDumping

Recycling Re-use

Ore, stone, clay, oil, timber,

plants, etc.

MiningDrilling

Harvesting

Ore

Oil

Timber

Resources

Emissions

Bjorn Berge

Resources

Emissions

Resources

Emissions

Resources

Emissions

Resources

Emissions

The best of intentions……

WHY HPDs?

Legal

“Ask about the

formaldehyde content

of pressed wood

products, including

building

materials, cabinetry, an

d furniture before you

purchase”

– US EPA

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html

Urea Formaldehyde

Legal

are monitored through the EPA Toxic Release Inventory.

have been tested for threats to human health and safety.

From the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

chemicals registered in the United States.

US Chemicals Policy: By the Numbers8

2,0

00

65

0

20

0

5

were BANNED.

EU’s REACH Program

• 22 substances on “authorisation list”

– Companies have to get authorization to use them.

• > 100 on “candidate list”

– Being considered for authorisation list

The Problem with Red Lists

The Benefits of Transparency

The path to understand & communicate product hazards

Product Exposure

Assessment

Ingredient Hazard

Full Assessment

Ingredient Hazard

List Screening

Product Content

InventoryWhat is inside?

Is it a listed hazard?

What else can we learn?

Is it a positive ingredient?

Who will be exposed?

What forms are hazardous?

Living Building Challenge Support

• International Living Future Institute’s Declare label

• Product contents

• Red list status

Cradle to Cradle

• Multi-attribute certification developed by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC)

• Now run by Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute (C2CPII)

• No public disclosure of ingredients or hazards required

HARMONIZATION: HOW THE PROGRAMS WORK TOGETHER

Product Exposure

Assessment

Ingredient Hazard

Full Assessment

Ingredient Hazard

List Screening

Product Content

Inventory

DIY

Ask

A

Pro

HPD Collaborative

THE HPD Collaborative Guild: Education and Outreach

MANUFACTURERS ADVISORY PANEL: 58 and counting!

No More Black Boxes

Not long ago there was little expectation that we’d know what products are made of.

That information was for the manufacturer* alone.

And any risks were addressed by government regulations**

Not anymore. Now we can ask to see what’s inside. And we’re all safer for it.

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*Actually, they don’t often what’s inside either, since they get stuff from other manufacturers.**In the U.S., regulations don’t allow the government to test for safety of most chemicals until it’s too late.

30

Oh, intrepid explorer

Where to now?

1. Legal issues with transparency2. Origins of the transparency

movement3. How the Health Product

Declaration works4. How LEED v4 encourages

transparency

• Environmental life cycle assessment (LCA)• Disclosure and transparency• Take-back programs (extended producer responsibility)

LEED v4: A More Sophisticated Look at Materials

Where a product is made, how it’s made and what’s in it are becoming paramount.

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Where to now?




transparency

USING THE HPD

Health Product DeclarationCollaborativeTM

WHY HPDs?

Educate

Educate yourself

• Take the time to really learn the issues

• Determine how you want to use transparency and transparency tools

– Ask experts you trust

Educate your firm• Once you feel you know enough

spread your thoughts, have in-house events

Collaborate

Make new friends.

• If manufacturers can use experts to help fill out HPDs then you can get help to interpret and use HPDs:

• Environmental hygienists

• Chemists

• Doctors

• Lawyers

Legal

The AIA Official Guide to the AIA Contract Documents - Wiley

Professional Performance

The performance of licensed design professionals, such as architects, is measured by two factors:

1. Contract - A design professional is required to perform the services described in the agreement with the owner; this is a contractual standard, and if those services are not performed, the design professional can be held in breach of its contract.

1. Standard of Care - The manner in which those services are performed is judged by the professional standard of care, which is a standard embodied in tort (negligence) law. Under this standard, the design professional is held to use the same degree of care as is ordinarily practiced by other similarly situated design professionals in that discipline.

Legal

Large Firm Roundtable – Legal Committee


Where to now?




transparency

STANDARD DETAILS

Health Product DeclarationCollaborativeTM

XX

XXXX


Where to now?




transparency


Where to now?




transparency

This concludes the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems Program

Thank You!

Aaron C. Smith, LEED AP BD+CDirector Sustainable Building SolutionsASSA ABLOY Door Security [email protected]

Jennifer Atlee

Technical Director

Health Product Declaration Collaborative

Jennifer Atlee [email protected]

Nadav Malin

LEED Fellow

President

BuildingGreen, Inc.

[email protected]