There are a number of resources from which to source product inventory disclosures, as well as databases that aggregate products with sustainability certifications or attributes that can be used to identify manufacturers willing to engage with transparency and optimization efforts.
PRODUCT DATABASES
Cradle to Cradle (C2C)
Products certified under C2C Version 2.1.1 or later with a Material Health score of Gold or Platinum, and products certified under Version 3.0, 3.1 or 4.0 with a Material Health score of Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum, are likely to comply with the Red List because they are inventoried to at least 100ppm and because C2C uses a similar assessment protocol to the Red List. However, since C2C has no public disclosure requirement, project teams must get fully disclosed ingredients lists from the manufacturers, or if that is not possible, must apply the appropriate Exception and submit the attendant Exception Documentation.
https://www.c2ccertified.org/products/registry
Declare
The Declare database is free to the public and significantly reduces the time required for materials research. All Declare labels are inventoried at 100 ppm and all Red List Free and Red List Approved labels can be used without further documentation. The database includes a full ingredients list and identifies any Exceptions used, confirms emissions testing compliance, represents final point(s) of assembly, and end of life options for all Declare products with active labels. The database is searchable and can be filtered and sorted by Declaration Status, LBC Imperative Compliance, CSI MasterFormat Division, manufacturer, and more.
https://declare.living-future.org/
HPD Repository
The HPD Public Repository is the definitive source for all published HPDs. Once published to the Repository, HPDs also appear on manufacturer websites and libraries such as mindfulMATERIALS. Use the search filters in the Repository to identify HPDs with disclosure to 100 ppm, and then apply the requirements outlined by HPDC to confirm the HPD is compliant with the Red List Imperative requirements.
www.hpd-collaborative.org/
Mindful MATERIALS
The mindful MATERIALS (mM) databse is a free platform with aggregated information on human health and environmental impacts for products from leading manufacturers. The platform is designed to bring together products with sustainability certifications and attributes into a common location to make it easy for project teams to find products that meet their sustainability needs.
The mM database can be a good resource for product research. However, some products in the mM database have incomplete ingredients lists. If an ingredient list published on the mM database does not represent 100% of ingredients and residuals present in the final product at or above 100 ppm, project teams must follow up with manufacturers to confirm complete ingredients lists and/or request the applicable Exception documentation.
http://www.mindfulmaterials.com/
Red2Green Materials Platform and Database
The Red2Green (R2G) platform supports LBC project teams navigating the Materials Petal. R2G offers an extensive online healthy products database along with a guided process platform for healthier materials design and construction, product research and documentation, seamless disclosure outreach and advocacy, and audit data compilation and organization. ILFI endorses R2G as a platform for efficient materials research and vetting compliance, and it is available by subscription to all LBC project teams.
https://materiallybetter.com/
MATERIALS RESOURCES
Building Green
A research tool for Green Design that includes Greenspec, a database of healthy building materials.
https://www.buildinggreen.com/
Chemical Abstract Services (CAS) Registry
CAS REGISTRY is the most authoritative collection of disclosed chemical substance information. CAS REGISTRY covers substances identified from the scientific literature from 1957 to the present, with additional substances going back to the early 1900s. CAS REGISTRY is updated daily with thousands of new substances and FAQ documents.
https://www.cas.org/support/documentation/chemical-substances/faqs
Red List and Watch List CASRN Guide
A list of specific Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Numbers (CASRNs) within each general chemical group on the Red List and the Watch List.
https://living-future.org/declare/declare-about/red-list/#red-list-and-watch-list-cas-guide (near the bottom of the page)
Green Ideas Green Action (GIGA)
GIGA is an international organization assessing the health performance of buildings. It combines the development of building standards with cloud software to increase the accessibility of healthy buildings globally.
https://origin.build/#/
LBC Materials Tracking Tables
In the spirit of transparency and collaboration, the materials lists for all projects certified (under LBC 3.0 and later) are aggregated into a common list (for project anonymity) and posted on the project team resources page. This ensures that each successive project can build upon the pioneering work of preceding project teams and that the Living Building Challenge community can work together to transform the market for transparently disclosed ingredients and healthy products.
While these materials lists will assist project teams in materials research and specification, please note:
The lists themselves cannot be used for materials documentation. Each project team must conduct its own research and collect its own ingredient documentation for each material.
- Living Product Challenge labels, Declare labels, and HPDs must still be active to be used on a new project.
- Some materials may be compliant only through an Exception that requires advocacy or other Exception documentation.
- Products vetted under a previous version of the Living Building Challenge may no longer be compliant due to updates to the Red List CASRN list or changes to published Exceptions.
https://living-future.org/lbc-3_1/resources/#materials-guidance
Pharos
A chemical and materials database and research tool that allows side-by-side comparison of products and chemical formulations.
https://pharosproject.net/
LBC Project Team Resources Page
Resources for all LBC registered project teams, including many related to the Materials Petal.
https://living-future.org/lbc/resources/
APPLICABLE STANDARDS
California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007 Suggested Control Measure (SCM) for Architectural Coatings
Rule limiting the emissions of volatile organic compounds from the application of architectural coatings.
https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/coatings/arch/approved_2007_scm.pdf
Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1168 for Adhesives and Sealants
Rule limiting the emissions of volatile organic compounds, toxic air contaminants, stratospheric ozone-depleting compounds from the application of adhesives, adhesive primers, sealants, and sealant primers used in architectural applications.
http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/rule-book/reg-xi/rule-1168.pdf
Restriction on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
EU RoHS 2 (Directive 2011/65/EU)
The European Union regulation on the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:174:0088:0110:en:PDF
REACH
The European Community regulation on chemicals and their safe use.
https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach/understanding-reach
The US Reduction in Lead Drinking Water Act
US S. 3874 (111th): Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, effective January 1, 2014
https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ380/PLAW-111publ380.pdf
