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Dublin Crossing is a 50-unit, 3-storey affordable housing development in Minnesota. The specifications for the development were benchmarked against the HomeFree hazard spectrums and incorporated measures such as low-VOC paint, and doors and millwork using NAUF (No Added Urea Formaldehyde) composite wood products. The project was used as an opportunity to explore alternative flooring options to reduce toxins whilst meeting practical requirements such as durability and easy maintenance.

Breathaplasta is a lime-based plaster system designed to be thermally insulating and moisture regulating. The product is made from a bio-aggregate which is engineered to reduce the risk of condensation and mould, reduce heat loss and improve thermal comfort. Breathaplasta is produced by Adaptavate, a UK-based company which aims to support healthier and more resource-efficient buildings.

Product screening tool to proactively identify potential issues and find safer alternatives. Requires a paid licence.

This case study aims to increase the awareness of environmental and health impacts and potential policy interventions to lead to sustainable plastic products from a chemicals perspective using flooring as an example. 

A case study as part of the European Commission's Green Public Procurement resources.  This example from Denmark shows how by using an overarching, centralised procurement strategy across more than 60 municipalities, the Danish government were able to address sustainability hotspots from wooden furniture, by bulk procurement of products that met ambitious sustainability criteria.

The bulk sourcing enabled cost savings, and criteria set ensured that furniture did not contain chemicals of concern identified by both Danish restricted substance lists and the REACH list of substances of very high concern (SVHC).  Products were required to meet higher standards of chemical safety, with dismantling criteria also set to improve circularity.

In recent years the majority of glues used in wood composite boards have been urea-formaldehyde (UF) and phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins.  However, these products may cause human health issues due to off-gassing of formaldehyde, which is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a potential human carcinogen, which can also cause irritation of the eyes, nose, lungs and throat.

However, development of no-added formaldehyde (NAF) glues and resins is a growing area, which not only provide a safer indoor environment, but also can reduce the use of fossil-based feedstocks, and are biodegradable.  This case study looks at how NAF adhesives based on abundant soybean feedstocks, taking inspiration from processes in nature can address this chemical hotspot, and how the product was intially researched by Dr. Kaichang Li of Oregon State university, and came to market through collaborations with Columbia Forest Products and Hercules.  Soy-based adhesives can now demonstrate cost-competitiveness with UF adhesives, and are being widely procured for buildings seeking to achieve complaince with air quality regulations and higher building rating scores.

List to identify hazardous substances restricted by the state of California.

Platform with aggregated information on human health and environmental impacts for products from leading manufacturers, vetted by experts against a sustainability criteria baseline.