Materials

To perform the screening, complete all of the following [4 points]:

• Select at least three product categories to screen for embodied carbon and at least three product categories to screen for material health from the product category lists below. Categories should align with materials most likely to be used in the project, prioritized by volume.
• Select at least one screening resource to evaluate materials for their embodied carbon impacts and one screening resource to evaluate materials for potential health impacts.
• Use the Green Communities Product Category Screening Template to document the screening results for the project’s initial material health and embodied carbon impacts and, if applicable, identify opportunities to avoid the worst impacts from products by shifting to those with lower embodied carbon and/or with lower risk of potential negative health impacts.
• Share the screening results with appropriate team members, including designers, general contractor, relevant trades, and sustainability consultants.
• Ensure team members consider the screening results when selecting products, writing specifications, and procuring products and materials.

1. Embodied carbon screening

Choose at least three of the following product categories to screen for embodied carbon:

• Cladding, exterior wall
• Concrete
• Flooring
• Gypsum
• Insulation
• Steel
• Wood, composite
• Wood, non-composite

Use at least one of the following resources to screen the selected product categories for their impacts related to embodied carbon. Evaluate the product categories’ global warming potential (GWP) assuming a project use of 60 years; prioritize percentage reduction in kgCO2e/m2:

• Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3)
• BEAM Estimator
• Kaleidoscope: Embodied Carbon Design Tool
• ZeroGuide
• C.Scale
• Athena Impact
• Tally
• Carbon Designer 3D (CD3D) by One Click LCA
• Common Materials Framework (CMF) climate health impact area

2. Material health screening

Choose at least three of the following product categories to screen for material health:

• Adhesives and sealants, wet-applied interior
• Cladding, exterior wall
• Flooring
• Insulation
• Paint, interior
• Wood, composite

Use at least one of the following resources to screen the selected product categories for their impacts related to human health. Evaluate the product categories for specific substances of concern and prioritize avoidance or removal of these substances.

• Common Materials Framework (CMF) human health impact area
• Habitable’s Informed product guidance and benchmarking tools

• Use education and screening to understand the impact of your current practice and identify opportunities to improve.
• A simple way to rank materials within product categories is to focus on the scale and scope of their potential impacts. For example, try classifying materials in a product category as “good, better, best” or “red, yellow, green.” Then seek opportunities to reduce or avoid use of the materials that contribute the worst health and/or carbon attributes.
• Apply what you have learned to achieve Criterion 6.4 Advanced Material Selection.
• Hold a team meeting to share and discuss the results of the screening. Include all relevant team members who impact material selection, procurement, and installation.

• Right-size the structural system. Optimize building and structural bay dimensions, member sizing and shape, and material strengths. For example, use advanced framing techniques for low-rise housing. For larger buildings, use the lowest concrete strength needed at each structural condition rather than one concrete strength for the entire project. Submit a plan or diagram illustrating the areas of the building that were optimized and describe the reduction in volume of concrete and steel as compared to the original design or to a typical design from your organization.
• Combine systems or eliminate finishes. Combine or eliminate at least two systems or finishes where not necessary for other purposes (e.g., polished concrete floors instead of flooring finish over slab). Submit final specifications and highlight eliminated systems and finishes. Quantify the material reductions.
• Design based on standard product dimensions to minimize waste (e.g., if using a 2-foot tile or plank floor, design floor dimensions in 2-foot increments) for at least three product categories. Provide dimensional drawings indicating product module and a waste calculation showing the expected percentage of material waste across the project. Waste percentage should not exceed 5% of the total material used.
• Implement industrialized modular construction methods. Integrate off-site, prefabricated volumetric, or panelized manufacturing for at least 50% of the square footage of all buildings in the project scope.
• Use salvaged materials for at least 15% of an entire product category. Product categories can include flooring, ceilings, doors, glazing (windows, glass partitions, etc.), millwork, lighting, plumbing fixtures, insulation, landscape paving, or furniture. For example, ensure 15 of 100 installed interior doors were salvaged, or that 150 square feet out of 1,000 square feet of wood flooring was reclaimed. Document the products, quantity used, and original source.

• For projects with deconstruction or demolition scope: Complete a salvage assessment during design or prior to demolition. Identify all building materials, soils, and landscaping for removal and their approximate quantity. Reuse, donate, sell, or otherwise divert from landfill at least 35%.
• Divert at least 50% of construction waste by weight from landfill by salvaging or recycling. Detail this through a waste-management plan.
• Recycle all waste generated on the site for at least two of the following product waste types: cardboard, wood, drywall, metals, concrete, brick, asphalt, insulation, carpet, and plastics (e.g., PVC piping, plastic sheeting).

• Develop end-of-use guidance for five product categories and include the guidance in materials developed per Criterion 8.1 Building Operations & Maintenance Manual and Plan. Product categories can include flooring, ceilings, doors, glazing, millwork, lighting, plumbing fixtures, furniture, roofing, or siding. Identify the products and describe their locations in the building, installed quantities, anticipated life spans, and recommended actions to either 1) salvage them for reuse, sale, or donation; or 2) recover them for recycling. Include information for specific organizations or businesses that will assist with end of use.
• Install products with extended producer responsibility programs, such as take-back programs or product leasing (“product as a service”). These products must constitute at least 75% of at least three product categories referenced in Criterion 6.1 Product Category Screening. Provide a list of the product categories, products, installed quantities, and program information. These programs are currently most common for furniture, appliances, and finishes (e.g., flooring, tile, ceilings).
• Identify and implement at least three opportunities for disassembly. For example, use reversible mechanical fasteners to allow for disassembly where adhesives or welds would typically be used. Provide a list of the assemblies, their locations in the building, the quantity of recoverable materials, and guidance or diagrams on the disassembly method.
• Modular design for disassembly: Design for and implement modular construction methods that are also designed for disassembly. Provide guidance on the disassembly method.

Reduction through design:

• For structure, consider braced frames instead of moment frames. Instead of wide flange sections, consider joists, trusses, or castellated beams. These configurations are material-efficient methods of supporting loads.
• Using HVAC systems with less ductwork can allow for smaller ceiling plenums and shorter floor-to-floor heights.
• When selecting gypsum board, use thinner board (1/2 inch instead of 5/8 inch) where the greater thickness is not needed for fire rating or other performance requirements.
• Reclaimed materials can be sourced from deconstruction sites, salvage wholesalers and retailers, attic stock, or manufacturers’ surplus stock.
• When specifying concrete strengths to reduce material needed, also consider performance specifications instead of a specific “recipe” for concrete. Performance specs give the supplier flexibility to meet structural performance requirements as well as sustainability goals, especially embodied carbon goals.

Construction waste reduction:

• Implement on-site separation of materials to the greatest extent feasible to help ensure a higher-quality product for recycling.
• Consider donating salvaged materials to nonprofit organizations or returning them through manufacturer take-back programs.
• For rehab projects: Consider recycling carpet when carpeting is being removed. The specification language below may be customized and included to determine whether carpet recycling is feasible and cost effective in your locale.
  • » Vendor shall supply a price quote to recycle carpet and carpet components at 100%, 50%, and 30% of product tonnage.
  • » Property manager shall identify the existing carpet product and polymers (e.g. polypropylene, nylon 6, or nylon 6,6), as documented in the carpet specification. This will enable the carpet vendor to ascertain the recyclability of the product.
• Create a feedback loop on waste generation from the site to the person responsible for material purchasing and/or paying disposal costs. The feedback loop could be as simple as a photo record of the dumpster after each major stage of construction, shared back with the materials purchaser who tracks disposal costs. Use this information to inform purchasing decisions and minimize waste.
• Create detailed framing plans or scopes of work and accompanying architectural details for use on the jobsite to proactively reduce waste. Create a detailed cut list and lumber order prior to construction.
• Ask manufacturers if they take back offcuts or old materials for recycling. This may be possible for drywall, flooring, or ceilings.
• Detail expectations for construction waste management in the project documentation (construction specification Division 1, Section 01 74 19).
• Investigate and document local options for reusing or recycling all anticipated major constituents of the project waste stream, including cardboard packaging and consumer recyclables (e.g., beverage containers used by the construction team).

Design for disassembly:

• Detail assembly components to be independent so they can be replaced or removed without impacting adjacent assemblies. For example, surface-mount fixtures, devices, and conduit, instead of recessing them into walls.
• Ensure fasteners for dismantling are visible and accessible.

• Remove windows that have deteriorated lead-based paint and replace with energy-efficient windows.
• A lead inspection should be undertaken by an EPA-certified risk assessor to determine whether paint in a rehab project contains lead. Otherwise, paint should be presumed to contain lead, and lead-safe work practices are required.
• Perform dust lead clearance testing at the conclusion of renovation work; compare against EPA dust lead clearance standards.
• Remove or cover lead-contaminated soil so that it is inaccessible to children. If covering, all bare soil should be covered with 2 to 4 inches of clean soil, compost, or mulch.
• For gardening, use raised beds with lead-free soil.

Acknowledging that not all housing developments can select the best-in-class material types, however, this criterion offers alternatives and provides guidance on product selection by addressing the following across priority categories:

• VOC content and emissions: Exposure to certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and mixtures of VOCs can cause or aggravate health conditions — both to jobsite workers who install or apply VOC-containing products and to people who live or work in spaces where VOCs off-gas from products continually over time. The requirements below address both VOC content and VOC emissions to reduce the risk of health impacts to installers, residents, and staff.
• Healthier material selection: By selecting products that are less toxic across their life cycles, from extraction through installation and beyond, project teams can reduce health risks for building occupants as well as jobsite workers, fenceline communities, and the public.
• Embodied carbon: Greenhouse gas emissions associated with extracting, manufacturing, transporting, and disposing of products are called embodied carbon or embodied emissions. Materials make up a significant amount of a property’s carbon footprint and represent the environmental and health impacts of a building on day one, even before any lights or equipment are turned on.

Notes for all product categories:

• Percentages of installed quantities are by cost or volume within the product category, except where existing materials are preserved or repaired.
• “CDPH Standard Method” refers to the Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions from Indoor Sources using Environmental Chambers, version 1.2, from the California Department of Public Health.
• PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals,” are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are common coatings on consumer products, including food containers. In construction, they are often used on textiles, window treatments, and exteriors to repel dirt and stains.

• VOC content is less than or equal to the thresholds provided by the most recent version of South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) 1168 available at the time of product specification.
• VOC emissions of 80% by volume are verified as meeting the CDPH Standard Method for the school or residential scenario.

Use the most recent Carbon Leadership Forum North American Material Baselines report or current, regional industry-average environmental product declarations (EPDs) to determine typical impact values per concrete strength class in the property’s location. Provide a product-specific EPD for at least 90% of newly installed concrete, demonstrating global warming potential (GWP) that is either:

• 20% lower than the regional average [5 points]
• No higher than the regional average [2 points]

• All flooring products are either an inherently nonemitting source of VOCs (such as unfinished stone or porcelain tile) or have VOC emissions verified as meeting the requirements of the CDPH Standard Method for school or residential scenarios.
• No carpet may be installed in building entryways, laundry rooms, bathrooms, kitchens/ kitchenettes, or utility rooms. Walk-off mats manufactured especially for that purpose are acceptable at entryways.
• None of the below may be installed:
  • » Flexible PVC with phthalates (in either vinyl flooring or carpet backings)
  • » Rubber or rubber–cork flooring made with tire-derived crumb rubber
  • » Carpet with intentionally added PFAS stain-repellant treatments
• Fluid-applied finish floors may be installed only in spaces that are not regularly occupied, such as mechanical rooms.

Project teams implementing Option 2: Minimum flooring standards may also select any, all, or none of the below for points:

• All flooring adhesives, coating, and sealants, whether pre-applied or site-applied, do not contain PFAS. Site-applied flooring adhesives, coatings, and sealants meet CDPH Standard Method emission requirements and do not contain epoxy or polyurethane. [1 point]
• No carpet is installed anywhere in the project. [1 point]
• No vinyl flooring is installed anywhere in the project. [1 point]

• Mineral wool batt insulation, if used, is formaldehyde free.
• Two-part spray polyurethane foam may be used in limited scope only to establish a sealed air barrier if no other viable material options are available.
• Foam insulation, if used, has blowing agents with low global warming potential (GWP150).

For interior paints, coatings, and primers:

• VOC content is less than or equal to the thresholds provided by the most recent version of SCAQMD 1113 available at time of product specification.
• VOC emissions of 90% by volume are verified as compliant with CDPH Standard Method for school or residential exposure scenarios.

In addition, teams may also select either, both, or none of the below.

• All composite wood products are certified to have no added formaldehyde (NAF). [2 points]
• At least 50% of composite wood installed as part of the project is certified to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard. [2 points]

VOC content and emissions:

• Reduce VOC exposure and negative health impacts in interior applications. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) thresholds ensure that products have limited VOC content, and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) emission standard ensures that products are verified to have limited indoor emissions of the specific VOCs tested.
• For all wet-applied materials, be sure to closely follow manufacturers’ instructions, paying particular attention to appropriate safety gear and ventilation requirements during installation and curing.
• If residents are in place while potentially hazardous materials are being used, take extra precautions. Residents should be moved out of the building during product application and for the duration of the curing period noted by the manufacturer.

Embodied carbon:

• To compare design choices beyond individual product selection, whole-building or assembly-level life-cycle assessments (LCAs) can be conducted. Free tools are available for all stages of design, from concept to construction documents. They help estimate the quantities of materials used in a design and reference EPD databases to calculate the total global warming potential (GWP) of the assembly or building being assessed.
• A material may have a higher carbon footprint but also greater durability, resulting in fewer replacements over a building’s lifespan. The assumed frequency of product replacement over a building’s life cycle can be accounted for in a whole-building LCA to help weigh a product’s durability against the negative impacts — including costs — associated with replacing it.
• For ready-mixed concrete, consider performance specifications rather than conventional prescriptive “recipes.” Performance specs can require a GWP maximum alongside strength class, allowing suppliers greater flexibility in customizing the mix to meet the specifications.

Labor rights and supply-chain transparency:

• Source materials from suppliers and manufacturers that demonstrate a commitment to fair labor practices. This includes safe working conditions, fair wages, and the absence of child labor or forced labor. Consider these actions in addition to material health and embodied carbon:
  • » Prioritize manufacturers with third-party certifications indicating appropriate supply-chain risk management.
  • » See Design for Freedom’s high-risk product list ( www.designforfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ethical-Materials-Tracking-Schedule-DFF-Guidance-and-Toolkit.xlsx) and identify any high-risk products in the project. Consider the country of origin for the project’s selection of those products and compare against the high-risk locations for those products.
  • » Sourcing from countries with comprehensive and enforced labor laws is a more reliable (though not guaranteed) way to procure ethically.
  • » Use reclaimed and salvaged materials to reduce demand for extraction of raw materials, in which forced labor can be prevalent.

• Ensure that the recycling program has management support. Include procedures in materials developed per Criterion 8.1 Building Operations & Maintenance Manual and Plan and the Criterion 8.3 Resident Manual.
• Ensure that signage and bin colors are consistent across the project and with local community norms where applicable. Consider opportunities for functional artwork through creative or artistic recycling containers.
• Add additional recycling bins or collection areas for paper and cardboard in locations where residents routinely check their mail.
• Identify local waste handlers and buyers for glass, plastic, metals, office paper, newspaper, cardboard, batteries, electronics, and organic waste. This may include artists or public art organizations seeking to divert solid waste by creating art from recycled materials.
• Make recycling accessible to your resident population. In multifamily buildings, instruct occupants on recycling procedures through clear and visible signs that include pictures. Ensure instructions appear in a variety of languages spoken by residents. Use signs with large and/or raised letters to support people who are blind or have limited vision.
• Incorporate composting alongside recycling where local compost collection or community composting programs exist. Provide separate bins with clear instructions.