Library

Digital collection of tools and guides to help designers, architects, homeowners, and developers make more informed choices about building materials and health.

More than 100 product guides to support practitioners in selecting products that avoid negative health impacts.

Over half a million tonnes of discarded electronic appliances are improperly processed in Nigeria every year, threatening the country's environment and the health of approximately 100,000 informal workers in the recycling industry.
With support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Government of Nigeria has joined forces with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners to turn the tide on e-waste under the “Circular Economy Approaches for the Electronics Sector in Nigeria” project. Led by UNEP and supported by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency of Nigeria (NESREA), the $15-million initiative brought together players from the Government, the private sector, and civil society to design and operationalise a financially self-sustaining circular economy (CE) for electronics in Nigeria.
The project aims to stimulate a CE pilot through an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme that serves as a model for countries facing similar challenges. EPR is an integrated waste management approach that extends the responsibility of manufacturers to the entire lifecycle of their product, particularly to the end-of-life treatment. By applying this approach, the producers will be obliged to commission for collecting, pre-treating and recycling their originated e-waste. 
The project creates synergies among pre-existing elements of an EPR system in Nigeria to establish a sustainable management system and financing mechanism for EPR implementation. Establishing and enforcing a sustainable approach in Nigeria with supporting regulations and legally binding requirements is expected to recover and re-introduce usable materials into the value chain, dispose of hazardous e-waste streams in an environmentally sound manner, and create safe employment for Nigerian e-waste workers.
 

Green public procurement specification for general construction and flooring adhesives. The goal of the specification is to set to set a hierarchy of flooring covering preferences, establish minimum environmental goals for flooring installations in state properties, and provide recommendations for additional aspects of flooring performance, cleaning and maintenance for a healthier indoor environment.

In January 2019, the California Building Standards Commission unanimously approved changes to the state building codes proposed by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal. The changes allow use of polystyrene insulation without flame retardants below a concrete slab-on-grade. These changes would maintain fire safety while improving human and environmental health.  This fact sheet details the key considerations for implementation of a policy on allowing flame retardant-free insulation within a building code, and the associated health and technical considerations.

GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals is a method of comparative Chemical Hazard Assessment (CHA) that can be used for identifying chemicals of high concern and safer alternatives.  GreenScreen was developed by and is a project of Clean Production Action.

The Global Minimum Transparency Standard (GMTS) is a tool for companies to disclose hazardous chemicals in their products throughout the whole product lifecycle.  It will help achieve equal access to information for all stakeholders, irrespective of country and within and outside the supply chains. It is a step toward stricter regulation or even a complete phase-out of hazardous chemicals leading to global human health and environmental safety.

Information from GreenSpec on environmental impacts of building materials, including chemicals of concern.