2025
While biological materials including wood fibers often pose fewer hazards across their life cycle than synthetic materials, it is important to consider how they compare to alternatives and the potential to further reduce any health impacts.2025
Linseed oil is a biological material extracted by mechanically pressing flaxseeds. While biological materials often pose fewer hazards across their life cycle than synthetic materials, it is important to consider how they compare to alternatives and the potential to further reduce any health impacts.2025
While mineral-based materials, such as portland cement, often have fewer hazards across their life cycle than synthetic materials, it is important to consider how they compare to alternatives and the potential to further reduce any health impacts.2025
Fiberglass insulation is commonly used in new construction and energy efficiency upgrades. While mineral-based materials such as glass fibers often pose fewer hazards across their life cycle than synthetic materials, it is important to consider how they compare to alternatives and the potential to further reduce any health impacts.2025
Nylon is a type of plastic used in carpet fibers. The choice of flooring material like carpet has many implications for environmental justice.2025
PVC is the most used plastic in the built environment. When choosing products, it is important to consider how they contribute to environmental injustice through their life cycle and how a different material choice might reduce those impacts.2025
MDI is used in spray foam insulation, which is prevalent in new construction and energy efficiency upgrades. While practitioners aim to make their buildings more efficient, they may run the risk of contributing to environmental injustice through the life cycle of their insulation.2025
Habitable’s approach to measuring the environmental justice impacts of chemicals in the building product supply chain.2024
Habitable’s report, “Advancing Health and Equity through Better Building Products,” reveals the current state of building materials used, with nearly 70% of typical products in the categories analyzed containing or relying on the most hazardous chemicals. The results, based on data for Minnesota affordable housing, are consistent with products used in other building types and geographic regions. The report highlights examples of leaders within and beyond Minnesota’s built environment who are already taking action toward safer material choices. It also provides guidance on how the real estate industry can begin working toward a healthier future by “stepping up from red-ranked products”—the most polluting and harmful throughout their life cycle based on Habitable’s research and Informed™ product guidance.2023
Insulation is a unique product category that can help reduce a building’s operational carbon emissions by optimizing performance, lowering the energy required for heating and cooling. Those same materials can also negatively impact the environment by releasing greenhouse gasses throughout their life cycle. Insulation can also contain toxic chemicals that migrate into interior spaces. This report provides guidance for designers and architects to choose the best materials that takes materials health and embodied carbon into consideration.2022
This report identifies key drivers of embodied carbon and material health by looking at specific examples of product categories frequently specified in building projects: flooring and drywall. This study identifies some examples of where paths toward low embodied carbon and safer materials align and where they conflict. The goal of this study is to translate the learning from embodied carbon assessment tools and material health assessment tools into actionable guidance for manufacturers, project teams, and green building programs that will allow them to optimize decisions and promote and select healthier, low-carbon products that advance a circular economy.2022
This brief introduces our framework for considering chemical and environmental justice impacts in a product’s life cycle, highlights findings from the case studies on fiberglass and spray foam insulation (see links below), and outlines recommended actions for building industry professionals, policymakers, manufacturers, and alternatives assessors.2022
In this case study, we applied our framework for considering life cycle chemical and environmental justice impacts to the primary component of spray polyurethane foam insulation: isocyanates. We explore the chemical hazards associated with the manufacture of isocyanates and the localized impacts that facilities have on communities and workers. We include an example of chemical movements within the supply chain and highlight end of life scenarios for SPF. Our overall findings are coupled with specific recommendations for policymakers and for manufacturers throughout the supply chain. See also our Case Study on Glass Fibers and the Report Brief summarizing the findings of both case studies.2022
In this case study, we applied our framework for considering life cycle chemical and environmental justice impacts to the primary component of fiberglass insulation: glass fibers. We explore the chemical hazards associated with the manufacture of glass fibers and the localized impacts that facilities have on communities and workers. We include an example of chemical movements within the supply chain and highlight end of life scenarios for fiberglass insulation. Our overall findings are coupled with specific recommendations for policymakers and for manufacturers throughout the supply chain. See also our Case Study on Isocyanates and the Report Brief summarizing the findings of both case studies.2022
This 2022 report outlines the current state of insulation and air-sealing measures in low-income multifamily energy efficiency programs. It includes findings on the extent to which insulation and air-sealing measures are currently being performed, some of the challenges to including these important measures in multifamily building retrofits, and opportunities to increase their use while ensuring that safer materials are used.