Greenbuild 2012: The New Normal - Transparency and Healthier Building Products

Bill Walsh | November 09, 2012 | Policies

Health Product Declaration Open Standard 1.0 Released

Today a wide-ranging collaboration of green building industry leaders released Version 1.0 of the Health Product Declaration (HPD) Open Standard Format. For the first time, manufacturers and their customers will have a standard format for the disclosure of contents and associated health information of building products. The HPD Open Standard will soon make full disclosure of product contents the new normal in the building industry.

The year-long development process for Version 1.0 has already set a new standard for effective collaboration between manufacturers and their customers. Nearly 30 building products manufacturers participated in an extensive Pilot Program of the draft HPD Open Standard, and 12 manufacturers[1] are Founding Sponsors of the HPD Collaborative, a new non-profit group that will manage the standard. The result is a commitment to product transparency unrivaled in any other business sector.

Interface Corporation's sustainability leaders, Lindsay James and Mikhail Davis, explained the business case for this new era of collaboration and transparency in an excellent Greenbiz article last July. The Healthy Building Network (HBN) is a member of the Collaborative because we are confident that greater transparency will stimulate a more informed conversation between manufacturers and their customers. This will reduce avoidable chemical hazards in the short-term, and send clear market signals that accelerate green chemistry and biomimicry solutions for the long-term.

HPD Diagram

The HPD Open Standard will enable all information requests for product contents

and health information to be sent and answered in a common format.

The HPD Open Standard, which will be freely available at www.hpdcollaborative.org, is intended to spur even more innovation to facilitate greater transparency in the building industry. For example, it may be used for product documentation in LEED and the Living Building Challenge, or even as a tool for manufacturers to use in screening their supply chains.

HBN Launches HPD Builder for Product Manufacturers

In support of the HPD, HBN is launching a new service in our Pharos Project. The HPD Builder (to be offered free of charge in Beta testing beginning at Greenbuild) will make it possible for manufacturers to complete their HPDs by drawing on the Pharos Chemical and Materials Library to automatically complete the hazard disclosure sections of the format. An HPD Library (also offered free of charge in Beta testing beginning next week) will allow customers to browse and print HPDs that have been deposited there by manufacturers.

There will be many opportunities for Greenbuild attendees to learn more about the HPD Open Standard, and engage with industry leaders who are pioneering the new normal. Here are just a few. But stay tuned, follow us on Twitter @HBNKnowBetter and @HPDstandard, there's more to come!

Tuesday, 11/13:

9:30am

Tom Lent, HBN Policy Director, will be speaking at Healthy, Equitable Housing, a panel discussion at the EPA Symposium, "The Role of Green Preservation in Creating and Maintaining Sustainable Communities."

Intercontinental Hotel

http://www.greenhistoricpreservation.org/agenda.html

1-5:30pm

Jim Vallette, HBN Senior Researcher, and Tom Lent, HBN Policy Director, will be participating in the "Living Building Challenge Materials Forum."

University Club

800 Powell at California

http://lbcmaterialsforum.eventbrite.com

Wednesday, 11/14:

3pm

Tom Lent, HBN Policy Director, will be taking questions on "Advanced Healthy Interiors" at the Greenbuild Knowledge Bar. http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/speakers/knowledge-bar.aspx

4pm

HPD Media Event

Interface booth 1413S (South Hall)

Thursday, 11/15:

9:30am

USGBC Town Hall Meeting on Green Buildings and Human Health

Join the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for a town hall meeting on human health and the built environment. This is an opportunity to share information with your peers on the current effect of the built environment on human health and for USGBC to learn from you.

Moscone Center South, Room 309

RSVP to Daria Gelman at dgelman@usgbc.org if you plan to attend.

And you can always stop by the HBN booth 3879N (North Hall).

Footnotes

[1] Alpar Architectural Products; ASSA ABLOY; CertainTeed-St. Gobain; Forbo; GAF; InPro Corporation; Interface; PROSOCO, Inc; Shaw Industries; Stego Industries, LLC; Tandus Flooring; & Teknion.