Product Health Reporting

How do you know if a product is healthy? What hazardous ingredients should you look out for? When you see a certification, how do you know if it’s reliable? Here is an overview on product health reporting.

Overview

Certifications and disclosures can provide useful information in assessing product health, but what exactly is the difference between the two?

Disclosures

Provide information on product contents and associated hazards

May include assessment of chemicals for health, safety, and environmental impacts

Can be self-declared by manufacturer or reported and verified through an independent third-party

Does NOT include a rating or score

Certifications

Provide a rating, score, or official endorsement that a product has met a certain standard

May examine a single attribute (e.g., VOC emissions), or can measure multiple attributes (e.g., chemical content, VOC emissions, and energy usage)

Can be self-declared by a manufacturer that a product meets a certain standard, or come from an independent third-party organization

Very few certifications ensure complete content screenings of all hazards, so while they may certify that a certain standard has been met, that does not guarantee that the product is completely healthy

Disclosures

Comparison of Disclosures Formats

Disclosure Format	Description	Pros & Cons	Guide
Health Product Declaration (HPD)	A voluntary technical specification for reporting information on product contents and associated health information, intended to be the health-analogue to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).	Pros & Cons Includes highly detailed information on a product's content inventory and the associated health hazards Provides manufacturers with the option of keeping ingredient names proprietary, while still disclosing related hazards Includes additional information on VOC emissions, product certifications, accessory products, and whether it has been third-party verified Includes considerations for impurities or residual byproducts that may be hazardous and are remaining in the finished product after manufacturing Does not assess exposure, risk, or life cycle impacts Can be an overwhelming amount of information for new users	Guide
Declare Label	Declare is a transparency platform and product database that answers three questions: 1. Where does a product come from? 2. What is it made of? 3. Where does it go at the end of its life?	Pros & Cons Provides a simple and clear format for disclosure, akin to food nutrition labels Requires at least 99% of product contents to be publicly disclosed Ingredients are screened against the ILFI's Red List, US EPA's Chemical of Concern list, and REACH, and any hazards are flagged on the labels Includes additional considerations for manufacturing location, End of Life options, VOC emissions, and compliance with the Living Building Challenge (LBC) Labels are self-reported by manufacturers, however there is an option to have them third-party verified Does not include characterization of ingredients	Guide
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)	A standardized format for communicating the environmental effects associated with a product’s raw materials extraction, energy use, chemical makeup, waste generation, and emissions to air, soil, and water.	Pros & Cons Discloses environmental impacts that cover the entire life cycle of a product, from raw extraction to end-of-use Provides an inventory of a product's contents and characterizes the functions and percentage volumes of each substance Provides information on product attributes such as durability, performance, maintenance requirements and their associated costs, all which will ultimately affect environmental considerations Does NOT provide information on human health impacts or the toxicity of ingredients	Guide
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)	A reporting format that provides basic information about a material’s chemical ingredients, the potential safety hazards to installers, and recommended practices for installation.	Pros & Cons Captures acute and chronic risks Protects identity of low-concentration ingredients Does not require listing emerging chemicals of concern
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label	Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the goal of the BioPreferred Program is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products.	Pros & Cons
Other		Pros & Cons

Certifications

Comparison of Certifications

Certification	Product Range	What it covers	Type	Pros & Cons
Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard	Product Range: Wide range	What it Covers: Multiattribute: - material health - material reutilization - renewable energy - water stewardship - social fairness	Type: 2nd Party Industry Based	Pros & Cons Includes a robust Material Health framework that assesses product contents for toxicity and exposure throughout the entire life cycle Holistically considers a spectrum of criteria addressing health, environmental impacts, and social equity Encourages manufacturers to make continuous improvements with product optimization Does not require product contents to be publicly disclosed
Cradle to Cradle Material Health Certification	Product Range: Wide Range	What it Covers: CMRs/PBTs, Banned Chemicals, Emissions	Type: 3rd Party Independent	Pros & Cons The Material Health Certificate provides a standalone certification that is identical to the material health section of the C2C Product Standard Strict requirements for avoiding chemicals on C2C's Banned List and no exposures from carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxicants, and products must meet VOC Emissions Standards Requires manufacturers to develop a material health optimization strategy for phasing out "problematic" ingredients Lower levels of certification (silver, bronze) do not require emissions compliance or 100% of contents to be assessed. Does not require product contents to be publicly disclosed
Declare \| Red List Free	Product Range: Building Products	What it Covers: - Banned Chemicals - Emissions	Type: Voluntary	Pros & Cons Public access to complete content list Certifies that a product is completely free of the identified persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals that are on the International Living Future Institute's Red List Certifies that products that contain VOCs meet the CDPH Standard Method emissions standard (or an international equivalent) Because Declare labels are self-disclosed (with an optional third-party verification), there is a possibility that the information is inaccurate By identifying specific chemicals of concern, a red list approach may lead to regrettable substitutions with chemicals that we aren't completely familiar with yet
BIFMA level	Product Range: Commercial Furniture	What it Covers: Multiattribute: - materials - energy & atmosphere - human & ecosystem health - social responsibility	Type: 3rd Party Independent	Pros & Cons Examines the actions of companies and manufacturing facilities Analyzes a product's full life cycle, from manufacturing through disposal Third-party verified Does not require product contents to be publicly disclosed Doesn't require the elimination of hazardous ingredients Lower levels of certification (level 1 and level 2) do not require credits for human & ecosystem health Scorecards are not disclosed
CDPH "Standard Method" v1.2 Section 01350	Product Range: Wide range	What it Covers: VOC Emissions	Type: Voluntary	Pros & Cons Requires that the emissions of 35 VOCs be below half of the current CREL (Chronic Reference Exposure Level), which is the level at which a chemical is shown to be non-toxic to the general population during a ten year exposure Can be used toward other certifications such as Red List Free and WELL Building As is the case with other Indoor Air Quality certifications, Section 01350 doesn't measure SVOCs (semi-volatile organic compounds) like phthalates and halogenated flame retardants, which we touch, inhale, or ingest as dust instead of as a gas
GREENGUARD Certification	Product Range: Wide range	What it Covers: Emissions of: - Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - Aldehydes (including formaldehyde) - GREENGUARD Gold includes emissions limits for additional chemicals of concern	Type: 3rd Party Independent	Pros & Cons Third-party verified Can contribute to other green building certifications, including LEED and BIFMA Level GREENGUARD Gold follows the strict, science-based standards established by California Section 01350 The emissions levels required for the standard GREENGUARD certification are not based on health data As is the case with other Indoor Air Quality certifications, GREENGUARD doesn't measure SVOCs (semi-volatile organic compounds) like phthalates and halogenated flame retardants, which we touch, inhale, or ingest as dust instead of as a gas
SCS \| Indoor Advantage	Product Range: Wide range	What it Covers: VOC Emissions	Type: 3rd Party Independent	Pros & Cons Third-party verified Indoor Advantage products meet LEED v4 standards, and Indoor Advantage Gold products meet stricter certification standards such as CHPS Indoor Advantage Gold strictly follows the science-based VOC thresholds established by the CDPH Standard Method Includes stricter product-specific requirements for adhesives, sealants, coatings, and batt insulation As is the case with other Indoor Air Quality certifications, SCS Indoor Advantage doesn't measure SVOCs (semi-volatile organic compounds) like phthalates and halogenated flame retardants, which we touch, inhale, or ingest as dust instead of as a gas
Green Seal	Product Range: Wide Range, Consumer Products to Building Materials	What it Covers: Specific Criteria per Material Category	Type: 3rd Party Independent	Pros & Cons Rigorous screening by trained auditors Uses various ASTM standards depending on product type Reevaluates criteria every three years based on the market to ensure that roughly 20% of products on the market are eligible Analyzes a product's full life cycle, from manufacturing through disposal Does not require product contents to be publicly disclosed Not ANSI approved
FloorScore	Product Range: Hard-surface flooring and flooring adhesives	What it Covers: VOC Emissions and Content	Type: 3rd Party Independent	Pros & Cons Third-party verified Uses science-based VOC emission thresholds established by the CDPH Standard Method Includes a VOC content requirement for adhesives, which means that it meets LEED v4's Low-Emitting Materials credit As is the case with other Indoor Air Quality certifications, FloorScore doesn't measure SVOCs (semi-volatile organic compounds) like phthalates and halogenated flame retardants, which we touch, inhale, or ingest as dust instead of as a gas
CARB \| NAF	Product Range: Non-structural composite wood (hardwood plywood, particleboard, and medium-density fiberboard)	What it Covers: Formaldehyde content	Type: Government Enforced	Pros & Cons The NAF standard for No Added Formaldehyde is currently the highest federal standard regulating formaldehyde emissions NAF certifies that composite wood is free of resins made from urea formaldehyde or phenol formaldehyde, which have the potential to off-gas after installation and are known carcinogens Third-party verified NAF composite wood may use regrettable substitutions for formaldehyde (such as methyl diisocyanate or MDI) Manufacturers have not completely disclosed the composition of soy-based binders, which are another common substitution for formaldehyde in NAF composite wood
CARB \| ULEF	Product Range: Non-structural composite wood (hardwood plywood, particleboard, and medium-density fiberboard)	What it Covers: Formaldehyde emissions	Type: Government Enforced	Pros & Cons Products with a ULEF certification have ultra-low emitting formaldehyde resins which have been shown to have formaldehyde emissions below the limits established by CARB Phase 2 Third-party verified Focusing on achieving low emissions through a ULEF certification (instead of eliminating formaldehyde all together) gives manufacturers flexibility when dealing with different materials or manufacturing conditions It is unclear if formaldehyde emissions could increase under certain conditions. ULEF is typically achieved by adding urea as a "scavenger," which bonds with excess formaldehyde to prevent it from off-gassing. But studies by the EPA and the USDA Forest Products Lab have shown later increases in formaldehyde emissions in ULEF products in climates with elevated heat and humidity
USDA Certified Biobased Product Label		What it Covers: Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the goal of the BioPreferred Program is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products.	Type:	Pros & Cons
PassivHaus			Type:	Pros & Cons
Eurofins Gold Indoor Air Comfort			Type:	Pros & Cons