Green Certifications: Health Product Declarations (HPD)

Today, many manufacturers are providing increased transparency of their products’ ingredients and health-related attributes, which are now seen as an essential component of sustainable building projects to protect the wellbeing of occupants. A Health Product Declaration (HPD) is a standardized reporting format for disclosing the health of a material and lists the ingredients, potential health hazards and environmental impacts associated with different products.

The goal of HPDs is to provide transparency and help designers and construction professionals make informed decisions about the products they use and recommend for their projects. HPDs are becoming more important as stakeholders demand transparency and accountability with regards to the products they use. The HPD system was established in 2012 by a coalition of architects, designers, specifiers, owners, manufacturers, contractors, materials researchers and NGOs, and has become a widely used format for disclosing product health information in the construction industry.

Categories serviced:

Paints, flooring products, adhesives and sealants, building materials, plumbing fixtures and piping, lighting fixtures, furniture, electronic equipment and appliances.

What certification indicates:

A HPD does not certify a product. Instead it provides a standardized reporting format for disclosing its ingredients and their potential health hazards. HPDs provide a comprehensive view of a product’s contents to allow designers and builders to select those that align with environmental and health goals.

How does it work?

A product gets an HPD when a manufacturer or supplier voluntarily fills out the template with information on the product’s composition, health hazards and environmental impact. They may also include information on the product’s manufacturing process and any certifications or standards it meets. The HPD template follows a standardized format developed by the Health Product Declaration Collaborative, which is a non-profit organization that promotes transparency in the building industry. The HPD Collaborative provides training and resources to help manufacturers and suppliers understand the reporting requirements and to develop HPDs. Once a manufacturer or supplier has completed an HPD, it can be verified by a third-party organization or submitted to a public database for review. The third-party verification process ensures that the information provided in the HPD is accurate and meets the reporting requirements.

Benefits:

Increased transparency: HPDs provide transparent information about the contents and associated health impacts of building products and materials, enabling informed decision-making by architects, designers, builders and consumers.

Improved health and safety: HPDs help identify potential health hazards associated with building products, raising awareness of their implications within the industry and fostering healthier indoor environments.

Promote sustainable practices: HPDs disclose information about the environmental impact of building products, such as their carbon footprint and recyclability. This can help promote sustainable practices and encourage manufacturers to develop more eco-friendly products.

Downsides:

Limited scope: HPDs only provide information on the ingredients and potential health hazards of a specific product. They do not provide information on how the product performs or its overall impact on the environment. This can limit their usefulness for some stakeholders.

Not standardized: While HPDs provide a standardized reporting format, there is no standard for the type of information that should be included. This can lead to inconsistencies in the information provided, making it difficult for stakeholders to compare products.

Costly and time-consuming: Producing an HPD can be a costly and time-consuming process for manufacturers. This can be a barrier to smaller outfits who may not have the resources to produce HPDs.

Photography: Olezzo/Adobe, Benjamin Moore

Images: HPD, Daltile