Resource Library

Material Health Considerations for Low-Carbon Concrete

2026

Concrete is the largest contributor to embodied carbon emissions in the building sector. As awareness over the concrete sector’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions has grown, a number of strategies have emerged to reduce its carbon footprint. In 2025 Habitable and Perkins&Will interviewed experts working in the low-carbon concrete field to better understand the potential health co-benefits and trade-offs of these strategies. This fact sheet summarizes the key findings from those interviews. We identify where data gaps exist in our understanding of these co-benefits and trade-offs, and also suggest approaches to concrete that will likely deliver health co-benefits.

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Chemical and Environmental Justice Impacts in the Wood Fiber Life Cycle

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.

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Chemical and Environmental Justice Impacts in the Linseed Oil Life Cycle

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.

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Chemical and Environmental Justice Impacts in the Portland Cement Life Cycle

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.

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Chemical and Environmental Justice Impacts in the Glass Fiber Life Cycle

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.

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Chemical and Environmental Justice Impacts in the Nylon-6 Life Cycle

2025

Nylon is a type of plastic used in carpet fibers. The choice of flooring material like carpet has many implications for environmental justice.

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Chemical and Environmental Justice Impacts in the PVC Life Cycle

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.

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Chemical and Environmental Justice Impacts in the MDI Life Cycle

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.

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Chemical and Environmental Justice Impacts Methodology

2025

Habitable’s approach to measuring the environmental justice impacts of chemicals in the building product supply chain.

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Advancing Health and Equity through Better Building Products

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.

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Embodied Carbon and Material Health in Insulation

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.

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Embodied Carbon and Material Health in Gypsum Drywall and Flooring

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.

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Chemical and Environmental Justice Impacts in the Life Cycle of Building Insulation: Report Brief

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.

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Case Study on Isocyanates in Spray Polyurethane Foam

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.

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Case Study on Glass Fibers in Fiberglass Insulation

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.

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