Growing concerns over chemical hazards in buildings has prompted many large architecture firms to request Health Product Declarations (HPDs) from building product manufacturers. HPDs disclose the potential chemical concerns of products against various "hazard" lists in accordance with the Health Product Declaration Standard. This open standard was developed to provide a consistent reporting format that increases the quality and availability of product content and health information.

Understanding chemical ingredients, hazards, and appropriate disclosure levels can be intimidating. In response to manufacturer demand, GreenCircle is currently assisting in the development of a system to verify that HPDs have been completed thoroughly and correctly in conjunction with the Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC) Standard. To ensure accurate disclosure, GreenCircle will use in house expertise to verify your completed HPD for technical accuracy against guidelines established by the HPDC.

• Objective: Verify that a specific HPD is completed in conformance with the established industry standard.
• Definitions:
  • Intentional Ingredient Disclosure: "Each discrete chemical, polymer, metal, bio-based material, or other substance added to the product by the manufacturer or suppliers that exists in the product as delivered for final use requires its own line entry and must account for 99% of the total product."* For HPDs that have been developed with the intent of the Full Disclosure of Intentional Ingredients option per the HPD standard, GreenCircle will observe and verify that specific information is included for each intentionally added ingredient in the product.
  • Residuals Disclosure: "Known trace substances remaining in the product from manufacturing steps (such as monomers or catalysts) or contaminants that come with raw materials must also be listed in an HPD."* The HPD allows for various residual disclosure levels including:
    • 100ppm (0.01%)
    • 1,000ppm (0.1%)
    • As reported by suppliers on MSDS
    • Predicted process chemistry (full disclosure of projected potential residuals)
  • Hazards Disclosure: "The HPD Standard identifies a minimum set of authoritative chemical hazard lists against which ingredients are required to be screened for health and environmental hazards."* For HPDs that have been developed with the intent of Full Disclosure of Known Hazards option, GreenCircle will observe and validate that your HPD meets all necessary requirements and depicted residual levels as stated in the HPD Standard v2.1.
• Reference Documents: Health Product Declaration Standard v2.1.

*HPDS v2.1

Note: Full Disclosure of Known Hazards is the recommended level to complete and verify an HPD. Residual disclosure levels of 100 or 1,000 ppm (parts per million) are also recommended if the manufacturer's goal is to contribute to LEED v4 credit options. GreenCircle understands hesitancy in the supply chain, and by manufacturers alike, to disclose proprietary information; however, GreenCircle will work within your restraints and directly with your supply chain to ensure accuracy of claims while respecting intellectual property concerns.

Benefits of HPD Verification

• Transparency: HPDs, by their nature, demonstrate a manufacturer's commitment to transparency; however, third-party verified HPDs provide trusted transparency through impartial review and disclosure.
• Assurance: A third-party review of an HPD ensures accuracy of material claims and conformance with established standards. Architects, designers, and consumers can rest assured that GreenCircle verified HPDs meet the strict demands of the open standard, provide accurate and complete data, and meet applicable credits within LEED v4 and other green building standards.
• Brand Recognition: Third-party verification positions your brand in the green building marketplace and sets you apart from the competition. GreenCircle certification provides a vehicle to further communicate your commitment to transparency and responsible material reporting.