The role of plastic materials in construction has become indispensable in the past decades with regard to the global megatrends urbanisation, climate, health, environment and affordable housing. 

Using the methodology presented in the Eco-innovation Manual, this supplement on building materials provides sector-specific information and guidance to sustainability consultancy service providers supporting companies in eco-innovation. It should be used alongside the Manual to provide further context at each step and examples of how the methodology, activities and templates can be applied in real life to a company in the building materials sector.

The Buildings InfoHub provides resources for designers, architects, builders, and other actors in the construction value chain to support actions to reduce the risks and impacts of chemicals in building materials.

Additionally, it provides information and case studies for policymakers, sustainability practitioners, and procurers to support the transition towards more sustainable and chemically safer building materials and products. 

Join ASBP and members of a new working group for a webinar exploring the benefits and characteristics of natural paints and finishes.

ASBP has recently launched a new Paints and Finishes working group which brings together a number of the major manufacturers and suppliers of natural paints and finishes in the UK. The event will feature short talks from the group’s founder members which include Celtic Sustainables, Clayworks, Cornish Lime, Earthborn Paints, Ecomerchant, Keim Paints and Mike Wye.

This report provides a global assessment of the level of plastic paint leakage worldwide.

It is based on the baseline year 2019 with a global paint demand of 52 Mt, that included 19.5 Mt of plastics and distributed across different sectors: Architectural, Marine, Road Marking, General Industrial, Automotive and Industrial Wood and Others.

From the Healthy Materials Lab, five case studies profiling affordable housing projects utilising healthier materials.

With the ÖKOBAUDAT platform, the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) Germany provides all stakeholders with a standardized database for the life cycle assessment of buildings. At the heart of the platform is the online database with life cycle assessment data on building materials, construction, transport, energy and disposal processes. With the help of life cycle assessment tools, such as the eLCA provided by the BBSR, the entire life cycle of a building can be compiled with the ÖKOBAUDAT database.

The SIN List is a list of hazardous chemicals that are used in a wide variety of articles, products and manufacturing processes around the globe. The SIN abbreviation – Substitute It Now – implies that these chemicals should be removed as soon as possible as they pose a threat to human health and the environment.

The International EPD System is the world’s first and longest operational Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) programme, originally founded in 1998 as the Swedish EPD System by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and industry.

HBN's Product Guidance uses a red-to-green ranking system to compare different types of products based on their hazardous content. It is informed by our comprehensive research into the hazards associated with building products that may impact building occupants as well as fenceline communities and workers throughout the product's life cycle.