HPDC Newsletter – June-July 2018

This month we have exciting news about the HPD version 2.1.1 and other advances that we continue to make with material health and transparency practice. Happy summer to all our members and readers of the Newsletter!

HPD Version 2.1.1—Standard Document Publicly Released—Full Implementation Planned for mid-September

We are very pleased to let you know that we have completed work on the HPD Open Standard v2.1.1 Release, which has now been posted on the HPDC Website. The Standard document is available at the following link. Full implementation is planned for mid-September—   coinciding with the completed upgrade of the HPD Builder to the v2.1.1 specification. The gap between the “Release” of the Standard and the “Full Implementation” date provides time for any adjustments that may need to be made based on automating the data entry functions in the HPD Builder, and provides time for all to review and prepare for the new version. At the point of the Full Implementation date, the Standard will be “Effective,” meaning that any HPD published following that date will need to be compliant with the v2.1.1 Standard.

Key New Features of v2.1.1

Special Conditions 

• Materials or substances may be considered within the HPD Open Standard to be “Special Conditions” for several reasons, among which are these examples:

• • A content inventory cannot be created due to variable or unknown composition and lack of CAS Registry Numbers, or CASRNs. This can occur, for example, with some biological materials, geological materials, or mixed recycled content.
  • A content inventory can be created, in theory, using regular HPD methods, but it is judged not practical or feasible to do so. For example, when electronics are a minor component of a building product, the added value to building project decision-makers of having a regular inventory reported for the electronic component is seen to be low, so using a Special Condition has been approved by the Technical Committee. This is a determination that is made by the HPDC Technical Committee, not a determination to be made by an individual preparer of an HPD.

• HPD Open Standard v2.1.1 rigorously defines, using Emerging Best Practices guidance, when Special Conditions apply to selected materials and substances, and how manufacturers can characterize a Special Condition in a completed HPD. Importantly, HPDs developed using HPD-defined Special Conditions will be able to qualify for the key LEED v4 credit, “Building products disclosure and optimization: Material ingredients,” Option 1. Currently, HPDC has released Special Conditions guidance for four situations: biological materials, geological materials, mixed recycled content, and electronics. Our volunteer committees and additional guest experts are working on additional Special Conditions, including polymers and metal alloys, and are poised to release new guidance as it is completed. Note that Special Conditions cannot be applied to a material or substance in an HPD until guidance is posted in Emerging Best Practices for that material or substance.

Hazard Screening Methods in HPD v2.1.1

• The HPD v2.1.1 release also addresses potential inconsistencies in hazard screening results of HPDs created using different automated hazard screening tools. HPD Collaborative worked with Clean Production Action and its GreenScreen® List Translator™ automators to develop the “Harmonized Methods for Hazard Screening” in HPD v2.1.1, now included in Emerging Best Practices guidance.This harmonized method addresses the frequency of updating and methods for handling chemical groups in lists used in GreenScreen® List Translator™ and HPD Hazard Warning listings. In addition, HPD v2.1.1 now provides more details on other aspects of hazard screening such as criteria for selecting HPD Priority Hazard Lists, definitions of hazard screening terms, and specific requirements for hazard screening for HPDs. 

HPD v2.1.1 continues to offer all previous improvements made in the v2.1 release of the HPD Open Standard in 2017. Key features include full harmonization with LEED v4 credit requirements, and integration of a LEED “pre-check” indicator. The latter enables project teams to rapidly identify, for further review, products that have the basic requirements to be compliant with the LEED v4 Material Ingredient and Disclosure credit.

We will update you on the Effective Date, planned for mid-September, in future communications. HPD Open Standard v2.1.1 is available now for download.

HPDC at NeoCon —  Living Product Expo on tap for September

We were delighted to visit with many of our members and meet new designers and manufacturers at this year’s NeoCon show.  Forty-three manufacturers who had exhibits and showrooms at NeoCon are HPDC members —   a growing number! Visit our NeoCon photo gallery to see members and guests from this year’s show.

We look forward to seeing many of you again this year at the upcoming Living Product Expo, September 11-13 in Pittsburgh. The HPDC team will be present for the third year with our booth and staff, to answer your questions about all-things HPD and share ideas about the growing capabilities of material health and transparency practice with our colleagues.

HPDs Published in April-June

There are now almost 4,000 HPDs published in the HPD Public Repository. Just under 1,500 use the newest version 2.1.1 of the HPD Open Standard—  this includes the LEED Pre-Check Indicator. Visit our website to search the HPD Public Repository.

Thank you to the 64 manufacturers who published HPDs April-June of this year!

ICD High Performance Coatings
Interface
J. Josephson, Inc.
Kelly-Moore Paints
Kinestral Technologies
Kingspan Access Floors Ltd
Kirei USA
KnollTextiles
LATICRETE International
Luna Textiles
Mannington Mills
Matalco Inc.
Mermet Corporation
Mohawk Group
National Gypsum Company
Nystrom
Object Carpet
Owens Corning
Pointe International Inc.
PPG Architectural Finishes
Sensitile Systems
Shannon Specialty Floors, Inc.
Spinneybeck | FilzFelt
Suzhou Tuntex Fiber and Carpet Co., Ltd.
textile mania
The Mitchell Group
Tnemec Company, Inc.
Traverse Flooring
Unika Vaev
US Surfaces
USG
Venture Carpets
View Inc.

Member Corner

A big shout out to the American Institute of Architects (AIA), which has introduced a valuable new resource for architects and designers working with product selection and specification where material health considerations are taken into account, “Prescription for Healthier Building Materials: A Design and Implementation Protocol.” Congratulations to principal authors, Frances Yang and Sara Tepfer, both of HPDC Member firm, ARUP, and the many others from our transparency and material health community who contributed to this extensively researched and documented resource.

Check out the AIA’s new handbook here.

Congratulations to The Mitchell Group – HPDs created for entire performance commercial products line

At NeoCon we had a wonderful discussion with Jim Blesius, director of marketing for The Mitchell Group (TMG), which was established in 2004 and is a major converter of coated fabrics to various upholstery markets around the world. TMG has been a member of the HPD Collaborative since January 2016. When Jim shared with us that his company had created HPDs for its entire performance commercial products line, we thought it was an accomplishment worthy of highlighting in this month’s Member Corner. “TMG fully supports the efforts of the HPD Collaborative to enable the transparent disclosure of building product content and associated health information,” said Blesius.

TMG has created HPDs for all its performance commercial products. HPDs are created by brand and construction type. An HPD for a particular brand or construction will cover a number of products. The following are TMG’s brands/constructions and the associated number of products, a total of 66 products covered by six HPDs:

• Sta-Kleen (wet process) – 31
• Sta-Kleen (dry process) – 12
• Sta-Kleen Polycarbonate – 10
• Sta-Kleen Silicone – 1
• NuLeather – 4
• Grand Slam – 8

www.MitchellFauxLeathers.com

Want to Be Featured in Our Next Member Corner?