This year we achieved Healthy Product Declarations (HPD) and Pharos Project listings for all of our standard, soy-based bamboo flooring and plywood products.

According to a recent article written by Environmental Building News’ Erin Weaver, “The Health Product Declaration (HPD) Open Standard Version 1 is available to manufacturers as a standardized format for disclosure of product contents, emissions, and health information to help designers, specifiers, and building owners and occupants make informed purchasing decisions. The HPD is meant to increase transparency and reduce redundant disclosure demands by referencing existing hazard lists and providing a human health context for information disclosed in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and other documents (see “The Product Transparency Movement: Peeking Behind the Corporate Veil,” EBN Jan. 2012). It is included as a compliance option for the Building Product Disclosure and Optimization: Material Ingredients credit in the current public comment draft of the forthcoming LEED v4 rating system.”

The Pharos Project, created and administered by Washington, DC-based Healthy Building Network, “is a campaign for transparency in the building materials market…the ultimate campaign tool…for users to locate the best materials to meet their current needs and enduring values; a tool to help cut through the prolific greenwashing; a space where users can discuss what makes a product truly green; and, most importantly, a platform from which to show manufacturers what constitutes a market in support of the best environmental, health and social equity practices.

These designations are not only important in helping us achieve specification in some very high-profile and important green building projects; they also help support our ongoing pursuit of absolute environmental health and social equity.