The Health Product Declaration (HPD) provides a standardized way of reporting the material contents of building products, and the health effects associated with these materials. Perkins + Will, Smith Group JJR, HKS, ZGF and other significant AEC firms encourage building product manufacturers to provide HPDs in order to be considered for product specification. Manufacturers who provide HPDs will be given preference over manufacturers that don’t comply with these requests.
✐ Complete the HPD Form to get started
What is a Health Product Declaration?
The HPD Open Standard is a voluntary technical specification that reports product contents and the associated health information. The HPD Open Standard was developed by manufacturers, architects, designers, specifiers, contractors, and scientists. HPDs enable manufacturers to disclose information from meeting minimum requirements to full disclosure and transparency. The HPD Open Standard is managed the HPD Collaborative (HPDC), a non-profit member organization representing the AEC industry.
Elixir Environmental helps building product manufacturers develop HPDs to meet the requirements for LEED v4, WELL, CHPS, and mindful MATERIALS. Developing HPDs can be difficult for building product manufacturers. Elixir Environmental has created the most cost-effective and user-friendly process in the industry.
Elixir Environmental assists manufacturers with the following:
- Manage the HPD project from beginning to end
- Identify all ingredients in your product
- Work with your supply chain to collect information
- Obtain data via Non-Disclosure Agreements
- Review and evaluate data from suppliers
- Help you publish a LEED v4 compliant HPD
- Educate your team on how to develop future HPDs
- Generate spec data for mindful MATERIALS
- Coordinate HPD verification process if applicable
BENEFITS OF HIRING A THIRD PARTY HPD CONSULTANT
Sometimes, it makes sense for a building product manufacturer to hire a third-party consultant. Why should a building product manufacturer hire Elixir Environmental for HPD development?
Manufacturers may hire Elixir Environmental because they:
- Don’t have the resources
- Have a tight deadline
- Can’t obtain data from suppliers
- Don’t have scientific expertise to create HPDs
- Can’t navigate complex multi-tiered process
- Want to ensure they get their LEED points
- Need to train their employees to develop HPDs
- Need integrate HPDs into their AIA/USGBC CE courses
Most building product manufacturers develop HPDs to meet LEED v4 MR Credit: Building product disclosure and optimization – material ingredients. HPDs are the easiest and most cost-effective way to achieve this critical LEED credit.
The credit requirements for Option 1 MR Credit 4: Building product disclosure and optimization – material ingredients
Intent:
To encourage the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts. To reward project teams for selecting products for which the chemical ingredients in the product are inventoried using an accepted methodology and for selecting products verified to minimize the use and generation of harmful substances. To reward raw material manufacturers who produce products verified to have improved life-cycle impacts.
OPTION 1: Material Ingredients Reporting (1 Point)
Use at least 20 different permanently installed products from at least five different manufacturers that use any of the following programs to demonstrate the chemical inventory of the product to at least 0.1% (1000 ppm).
Manufacturer Inventory
The manufacturer has a publicly available inventory of all ingredients identified by name and Chemical Abstract Service Registration Number (CASRN). Materials defined as trade secret or intellectual property may withhold the name and/or CASRN but must disclose role, amount and hazard screen using either GreenScreen v1.2 or GHS (2015).
Health Product Declaration
The end use product has a published, complete Health Product Declaration with full disclosure of known hazards in compliance with the Health Product Declaration Open Standard.
Cradle to Cradle
The end use product has been certified at the Cradle to Cradle v.2 Basic level or Cradle to Cradle v.3 Bronze level.
Declare
The Declare product label must indicate that all ingredients have been evaluated and disclosed to at least 1000 ppm.
ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard
The documentation from the assessor or scorecard from BIFMA must demonstrate the product earned at least 3 points under 7.5.1.3 Advanced Level in e3-2014 or 3 points under 7.4.1.3 Advanced Level in e3-2012.
Cradle to Cradle Material Health Certificate
The product has been certified at the Bronze level or higher and at least 90% of materials are assessed by weight.
Product Lens Certification
Facts
NSF/ANSI 336: Sustainability Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabric at any certification level
USGBC approved program
Other USGBC approved programs meeting the material ingredient reporting criteria.
For further information about how HPDs can benefit LEED v4 projects, please see this free AIA/USGBC continuing education course at GreenCE.com.
The HPD verification process for HPDs includes:
- Compliance with the requirements of the HPD Open Standard
- Confirming that the product’s formulation reporting matches provided documentation and is aligned with the Health Product Declaration Standard requirements
- Ensures that any non-disclosed proprietary information is accurately represented in the HPD
Health Product Declaration (HPD) Verification
Elixir Environmental can help product manufacturers with HPD verification. Currently, LEED v4 does not require verification nor award points for verified HPDs. However, the HPDC Third-Party Verification Program provides a framework for an additional level of assurance that a completed Health Product Declaration (HPD) fully complies with the HPD Open Standard.
Our team works with Approved HPD Third-Party Verifiers and sits on the HPDC Third Party Verification Program Committee. A Third Party Verification is conducted as a desk audit of the HPD and its documentation; it does not mandate an onsite audit that would review a Bill of Materials. Verification of an HPD is not a product certification or a declaration that the product is safe. ▪