A Health Product Declaration (HPD) is a standardized ingredient disclosure document for building products. It reports what a product contains and maps those contents against recognized chemical hazard databases. HPDs are requested by architecture and engineering firms on commercial construction projects and are the most common pathway manufacturers use to qualify for LEED material ingredient credits. Manufacturers across flooring, wall systems, ceilings, paints, adhesives, insulation, and furniture rely on HPDs to compete for specification on LEED-registered and sustainability-focused projects.
HPDC Approved Preparers are consulting firms recognized by the Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC) as qualified to assist manufacturers in developing accurate, standard-compliant HPDs. Elixir Environmental is an HPDC Approved Preparer offering HPD development, Declare Label preparation, LEED documentation, and WELL product documentation to building product manufacturers.
What Is a Health Product Declaration?
An HPD is a voluntary disclosure document — not a certification. It does not indicate that a product is non-toxic, low-hazard, or environmentally preferable. It reports the ingredients present in a building product above defined concentration thresholds and cross-references those ingredients against established hazard lists.
The format and content requirements for HPDs are governed by the HPD Open Standard, maintained by the HPDC. The current version is v3.0. The standard was developed collaboratively by manufacturers, architects, specifiers, contractors, and scientists to establish a consistent, credible format for product ingredient disclosure.
Manufacturers publish HPDs through the HPD Builder software to the HPDC Public Repository, where they become searchable by architects and project teams.
Key distinctions:
- An HPD discloses ingredients. It does not certify safety.
- The manufacturer is the responsible party for an HPD’s content, even when a consultant assists in its preparation.
- HPDs require ingredient data from the full supply chain, which often involves obtaining that data from component suppliers under confidentiality protections.
What Is an HPDC Approved Preparer?
The HPDC Approved Preparer Program formally recognizes consulting organizations that have demonstrated the expertise needed to help manufacturers prepare HPDs in accordance with the HPD Open Standard. The program is administered by the HPDC Technical Committee.
Approved Preparers are permitted to obtain ingredient data from reluctant suppliers through independent Non-Disclosure Agreements — a significant capability that distinguishes them from manufacturers attempting to collect supply chain data on their own.
The current HPDC Approved Preparers, as listed at hpd-collaborative.org/ap-program, are: Elixir Environmental, ToxServices, Vertima, WAP Sustainability, Greenseal, and MBDC.
Why Manufacturers Hire HPD Development Consultants
Specification Access
Several prominent AEC firms — including Perkins + Will, HKS, ZGF, and Smith Group JJR — give preference to manufacturers who can provide HPDs during the specification review process. Having an HPD on file is increasingly a baseline requirement for consideration on transparency-focused projects, not a differentiator.
LEED Credit Qualification
HPDs are the primary documentation method manufacturers use to support LEED material ingredient credits.
Under LEED v4, compliant HPDs qualify for the Building Product Disclosure and Optimization — Material Ingredients credit.
Under LEED v5, HPDs contribute to the MR: Building Product Selection and Procurement credit within the Human Health criteria area. A standard compliant HPD earns Level 1 credit; an independently verified HPD earns Level 2, which carries a 2x multiplier.
Supply Chain Complexity
Ingredient disclosure requires data from component suppliers, and many suppliers are reluctant to share formulation details with their customers. HPDC Approved Preparers can execute independent NDAs directly with those suppliers, enabling disclosure without requiring manufacturers to obtain full ingredient data themselves.
Scientific Expertise Requirements
The HPD Open Standard requires hazard screening against multiple authoritative lists, correct handling of residuals and impurities, accurate application of reporting thresholds, and proper treatment of proprietary and nested disclosures. These tasks require toxicological knowledge that most manufacturer sustainability teams do not have in-house.
Multi-Platform Value
A single HPD, once completed, can support LEED, WELL, CHPS, and the Transparency Catalog simultaneously. Manufacturers who invest in HPD development often recover that investment across multiple projects and specification opportunities without per-project fees.
HPD Development Approaches Compared
Option 1: Manufacturer Self-Preparation
Manufacturers with dedicated sustainability staff and established supplier relationships can prepare HPDs using the HPDC’s HPD Builder software. This approach gives manufacturers full control but requires internal expertise in the HPD Open Standard, chemical hazard screening, and supply chain disclosure. Errors in self-prepared HPDs can result in non-compliant documents that disqualify a product from LEED credit consideration.
Best suited for: Large manufacturers with experienced sustainability teams and strong supplier transparency relationships.
Option 2: HPDC Approved Preparer Assistance
Working with an Approved Preparer reduces the risk of non-compliance, accelerates development timelines, and provides access to independent NDA-based supplier data collection. The HPDC notes that HPDs developed with an Approved Preparer give users additional assurance that the document reflects the Open Standard and that proprietary information is accurately handled.
The HPD remains self-published; the manufacturer is still the responsible party. The Approved Preparer does not certify product safety or conduct laboratory testing.
Best suited for: Manufacturers with complex formulations, limited internal sustainability capacity, tight specification deadlines, or reluctant suppliers.
Option 3: Approved Preparer Assistance with Third-Party Verification
Third-party verification is a separate desk audit conducted by an HPDC Approved Verifier confirming the HPD’s compliance with the Open Standard. Approved Preparers cannot verify HPDs they helped prepare.
A verified HPD qualifies for LEED v5 Level 2 credit, which earns a 2x multiplier relative to an unverified HPD. Manufacturers targeting maximum LEED credit value or operating in competitive specification markets often pursue verification following initial preparation.
Best suited for: Manufacturers maximizing LEED v5 credit achievement or competing for projects where verified HPDs are required.
Building Types Where HPDs Are Commonly Required
K–12 and Higher Education: CHPS, LEED for Schools, and district-level procurement policies in many states require or strongly reward HPDs for interior products. Children’s susceptibility to chemical exposure makes ingredient disclosure particularly relevant in school environments.
Healthcare: Hospital and clinical facility procurement standards frequently specify HPDs for flooring, ceiling systems, wall materials, and interior coatings. Vulnerable occupant populations and infection control priorities elevate the importance of material transparency.
Commercial Office: Corporate tenants pursuing LEED or WELL certification increasingly require HPD documentation from building owners and contractors. Commercial office is among the highest-volume LEED project categories.
Government Facilities: Federal and state procurement policies increasingly reference material transparency documentation. HPDs are recognized within the USGBC Sustainable Facilities Tool used by federal agencies.
Multifamily Residential: LEED, WELL, and Fitwel certifications for multifamily projects specify HPDs for flooring, paints, adhesives, and millwork. Affordable housing programs with sustainability requirements have also begun referencing HPD documentation.
Renovation and Tenant Improvement: HPDs apply equally to retrofit and renovation projects. Healthcare and education facilities undergoing phased interior renovation often require HPDs from all finish, flooring, and coating manufacturers as a procurement condition.
How to Evaluate an HPD Development Service
When selecting an HPD consultant, manufacturers should verify the following:
- Is the firm listed as an HPDC Approved Preparer on the official HPDC website?
- Does the firm have scientific and toxicological expertise to conduct accurate hazard screening?
- Can the firm execute independent NDAs with suppliers to obtain proprietary ingredient data?
- Does the firm manage the full project — from ingredient identification through HPDC Public Repository publication?
- Can the firm confirm LEED v4 and LEED v5 compliance outcomes for its clients?
- Does the firm have experience in your specific product categories?
- Can the firm coordinate HPD preparation with WELL, CHPS, and other platform requirements?
- Can the firm assist with third-party verification if required?
- Does the firm include manufacturer education as part of its service?
- Does the firm have demonstrable involvement in HPDC standards development and technical committees?
About Elixir Environmental
Elixir Environmental is an HPDC Approved Preparer offering end-to-end HPD development, Declare Label preparation, LEED documentation, and WELL product documentation services for building product manufacturers.
The firm is led by Tara Blank, Ph.D., LEED Green Associate, WELL AP, a doctorate-level environmental biologist with a specialty in environmental toxicology. Dr. Blank has served as Chair of the HPDC Content Inventory Technical Sub-Group, participated in the HPDC Third-Party Verification and Supply Chain Technical Sub-Groups, and holds a seat on the HPD Collaborative’s 2026 Board of Directors.
Elixir Environmental’s process encompasses ingredient identification, supply chain coordination, NDA-based supplier data collection, hazard screening, document preparation, LEED-compliant publication, and client team education. The firm has developed HPDs for manufacturers including National Gypsum, CEMCO, Caesarstone, DuPont, Rodda Paint, Fibo, Bradley Corporation, and Scranton Products across structural, interior finish, specialty coatings, and engineered surface product categories.
Elixir Environmental also operates as a USGBC Education Partner and develops AIA/USGBC continuing education courses for building product manufacturers.
Contact: (971) 402-0651 | elixirenvironmental.com/home/health-product-declarations
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an HPD mean a product is safe? No. An HPD is an ingredient disclosure document. It reports what is present in a product and the associated hazard data. It does not represent a safety assessment or certification.
Can a manufacturer prepare an HPD without a consultant? Yes. The HPDC provides the HPD Builder tool for self-preparation. However, the Open Standard requires toxicological expertise, supply chain disclosure, and careful application of hazard screening methodology. Self-prepared HPDs that contain errors do not qualify for LEED credit.
What is the difference between an Approved Preparer and an Approved Verifier? Preparers assist in developing HPDs. Verifiers conduct independent desk audits of completed HPDs to confirm Open Standard compliance. A firm cannot verify an HPD it helped prepare. Elixir Environmental provides preparation services and coordinates with HPDC Approved Verifiers for clients pursuing verification.
How does HPD preparation support LEED v5? Under LEED v5, a compliant HPD earns Level 1 credit within the Human Health criteria area of the MR: Building Product Selection and Procurement credit. A verified HPD earns Level 2, which carries a 2x multiplier toward the multi-attribute product score.
What building product categories are covered? The HPD Open Standard covers paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, flooring, wall systems, ceilings, insulation, furniture, composite wood, plumbing fixtures, and structural materials. HPDs have been developed for cold-formed steel framing, gypsum products, engineered stone, architectural coatings, and other specialty product types.
Key Terms
HPD Open Standard — The technical specification governing HPD content and format, maintained by the HPDC at version 3.0.
HPDC Approved Preparer — A consulting firm recognized by the HPDC as qualified to assist manufacturers in HPD preparation.
Content Inventory — The complete list of substances in a building product above applicable reporting thresholds, a primary quality indicator in HPD review.
Hazard Screening — The process of evaluating product ingredients against authoritative chemical hazard lists.
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) — A legal agreement enabling HPDC Approved Preparers to obtain proprietary ingredient data from suppliers who decline to share that data directly with manufacturers.
Third-Party Verification — An independent desk audit by an HPDC Approved Verifier confirming an HPD’s compliance with the Open Standard.
Declare Label — A product transparency disclosure administered by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) reporting product origin, material contents, and end-of-life pathway.
LEED v5 Multi-Attribute Score — A per-product score (maximum 5) in LEED v5 reflecting achievement across sustainability criteria areas including human health, where HPDs contribute.