News

Posted on Nov 2, 2023

Empowering AEC: Healthy Building Network and mindful MATERIALS’ Aligned Approach to Sustainable Material Selection

Healthy Building Network (HBN) and mindful MATERIALS (mM) are working together to align Informed™ with the Common Materials Framework (CMF), accelerating our collective mission to empower the AEC industry in the selection of healthier materials. It is critical that these tools and organizational approaches are understood as complementary and collaborative.

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Posted on Oct 17, 2023

The New Imperative: Optimizing for Embodied Carbon and Material Health

In a monumental step for green building, Perkins&Will has partnered with Healthy Building Network to release two groundbreaking reports: "Embodied Carbon and Material Health in Insulation" and "Embodied Carbon and Material Health in Gypsum Drywall and Flooring." This collaboration represents a significant achievement in efforts towards holistic building product specification.

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Posted on May 24, 2023

Teresa McGrath, HBN's Chief Research Officer on Why Forever Chemicals Have No Place in Paint

Almost every day, news headlines warn us of the dangers of ‘forever chemicals’, known as PFAS, used in the manufacturing of consumer and industrial products. They're being found in our water, air, fish, and soil across the U.S. and around the globe, and our body tissues, showing up in almost every person in the US. A new report by Healthy Building Network (HBN) examines the presence of PFAS in residential and commercial paint products—and the urgent need to stop their use.  We recently spoke with Teresa McGrath, chief research officer at HBN, and the report’s lead author, to discuss the team’s research findings. She shares what industry professionals can do to avoid human exposure, and discusses why—and how—manufacturers can eliminate them from paint formulas altogether.

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Posted on Sep 21, 2022

Embodied Injustices: Building Material Pollution Harms BIPOC, Low-Income Communities

Insulation is an integral part of our buildings, and better insulating buildings to decrease energy use is an important part of climate solutions. However, the current approach, singularly-focused on carbon fails to account for other harmful emissions associated with the life cycle of insulation materials—toxic pollution that disproportionately burdens Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), and/or low-income communities. Healthy Building Network, in partnership with NRDC and Energy Efficiency for All, recently released a series of reports exploring who is harmed by toxic chemicals along the supply chain of building insulation, and how to make more equitable policies and products.

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Posted on Apr 25, 2022

Affordable Housing Cooperative Transforming the Material Industry

HBN recently completed a project in partnership with United Renters for Justice (IX), a nonprofit working to transform the Minneapolis housing system, to reduce tenant exposures to toxic chemicals used in building products. Funded through a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the collaboration provided the unique opportunity to co-create resources to help tenants and building managers make informed decisions about the products used in their housing units and common areas. HBN and IX are now excited to make these resources available to you!

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Posted on Apr 25, 2022

Board Chair Monica Nakielski Sees a Big Future for HBN

HBN is excited to welcome Monica Nakielski as our new Board Chair in 2022! A longtime champion of healthy buildings and spaces, Monica is the Vice President of Sustainability at Advocate Aurora Health. Learn why Monica is passionate about healthier materials and hear her vision for HBN in the coming years.

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Posted on Apr 25, 2022

Pharos Helps Manufacturers Future-Proof Their Products

You’ve probably heard us talk about the hazardous chemicals that can exist in your paint, flooring, and other building products. But chemicals of concern lurk in a great many products, from food packaging and computer monitors to lipstick and sunscreen. Learn how Restricted Substances Lists in HBN's chemical hazard database Pharos help manufacturers in a variety of sectors lead the market with safer chemicals.

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Posted on Mar 29, 2022

Low VOC? Don’t Stop There.

If you’re reading this article, chances are you are familiar with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals emitted from products into the surrounding air. Perhaps you even know that choosing zero- or low-VOC products is a good first step in selecting healthier building materials. But did you know that products labeled as zero- or low-VOC can still contain hazardous volatile compounds or other chemicals of concern?

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Posted on Mar 29, 2022

Leaders You Should Know: Teresa McGrath

This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating an incredible leader in the green chemistry and healthy materials space: our very own Chief Research Officer Teresa McGrath! Learn why she’s a champion for safer chemicals and healthier products and hear her perspective on the industry today.

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Posted on Mar 9, 2022

HBN Founder Bill Walsh to Lead Passport Foundation

HBN Founder Bill Walsh will be joining the Passport Foundation as their new Executive Director in April 2022. He will succeed Janet Maughan, who led the Passport Foundation since its inception in 2008.

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