When the USGBC released LEED v4 in the fall of 2013, there were several substantial updates to the widely adopted green building rating system. Specifically, the Materials and Resources section saw many changes such as, for the first time, the inclusion of material human health considerations. As the market adapts, industry leaders are combining their expertise to make LEED v4 compliance easier.

GreenScreen/Clean Production Action and GreenCircle have partnered to facilitate the process of earning the Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Material Ingredients credits in LEED v4. Through the development of "How To" guidance and LEED v4 Compliance certifications respectively, Clean Production Action and GreenCircle are making the GreenScreen methods for earning these credits simpler. Manufacturer Inventories and Optimization Reporting with GreenCircle's LEED v4 Compliance certification will provide assurance to manufacturers, project teams, and LEED reviewers that certified products meet the credit's intent and can be counted toward the credit points.

• Objective: Provide LEED v4 Compliance certification for GreenScreen methods for earning the Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Material Ingredients Credit under LEED v4. Certifications will include those for Manufacturer Inventories (Option 1) as well as Optimization efforts (Option 2), designating compliance with LEED v4. These certifications will expedite submittals for quick, seamless credit documentation and approval.
• Definitions:
• Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Material Ingredients Credits
• Intent: 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.
• Requirements:
  • Option 1. Material Ingredient Reporting (1 point) Use permanently installed products from manufacturers that use a Manufacturer Inventory to demonstrate the chemical inventory of the product to at least 0.1% (1000 ppm).
  • The manufacturer has published complete content inventory for the product following these guidelines:
  • 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, GreenScreen List Translator or Benchmark scores, and associated hazards.
  • Option 2. Material Ingredient Optimization (1 point) Use products that document their material ingredient optimization using GreenScreen List Translator or GreenScreen v1.2 Benchmark for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed products in the project.
  • Products that have fully inventoried chemical ingredients to 100 ppm that have no List Translator 1, List Translator P1 or Benchmark 1 hazards:
  • If any ingredients are assessed with the GreenScreen List Translator, value these products at 100% of cost.
  • If all ingredients are have undergone a full GreenScreen Assessment, value these products at 150% of cost.
• Reference Documents: LEED v4 Reference Manual; How To Use GreenScreen® For LEED v4 Credit Guidance

Benefits of Product Certifications

• Recognition:
• GreenCircle's LEED v4 Compliance marks approved by the USGBC
• Fully recognized by the GBCI reviewers as sufficient documentation within LEED submittals
• GreenCircle mark guarantees LEED project teams that certified inventories will qualify for credit options
• Certified products easily identified by architects, builders, and product specifiers, making material selection easier
• Green Marketing:
• Receiving GreenCircle certification demonstrates a commitment to offering safer, more sustainable products
• Beyond LEED compliance, the GreenCircle mark is a tool for communicating a company's sustainability story and meeting customer demands
• Federal Trade Commission:
• FTC Green Guides established stricter requirements and enforcement guidelines for environmental product claims
• GreenCircle certification is consistent with the Green Guides and certifies to FTC standards, protecting companies from punitive action