U.S. EPA Includes Declare and the Living Product Challenge in Recommendations to Federal Purchasers
SEATTLE, January 20, 2017 /3BL Media/– The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) announced that the Living Product Challenge and Declare are now recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for federal purchasers.
The recommendations, which help federal purchasers identify and procure environmentally sustainable products and services, include the Living Product Challenge and Declare as recommended standards for a range of low-emitting materials including carpet, flooring products, furniture, and interior latex paint.
“We designed the Living Product Challenge and Declare to transform the building materials marketplace through innovation, transparency and the highest standards of health and toxic chemical avoidance,” said James Connelly, Director of the Living Product Challenge for the ILFI. “We thank the EPA for their extensive work to identify standards and ecolabels that encourage the U.S. federal government – one of the world’s biggest materials markets – to measurably improve its environmental performance, and we are thrilled that the Living Product Challenge and Declare are a part of this initiative.”
About the Living Product Challenge
The Living Product Challenge re-imagines the design and construction of products to function as elegantly and efficiently as anything found in the natural work. It provides a framework for manufacturers to rethink the way products are made. Instead of trying to be “less bad” than the alternative, this initiative challenges manufacturers to create products that are healthy, inspirational and give back to the environment. Living Products are free of toxins, socially responsible and made in a way that respects the rights of workers, and create net-positive benefits for both humans and the environment.
About Declare
Declare is a ‘nutrition-label’ for products that clearly and elegantly discloses a product’s ingredients. The Declare label informs consumers about where a product originated, what it is made of, and where it goes at the end of its life. Originally envisioned as a voluntary program to accelerate transparency in the market as quickly as possible, Declare now also provides product manufacturers the option for third party validation from trusted third party verifiers. The Declare product database now has over 800 products listed, simplifying the materials specification and certification process so that designers can quickly and easily identify products that meet the materials requirements of the Living Building Challenge, LEED V4 or the WELL Building Standard.
About International Living Future Institute
The International Living Future Institute is an inspiring hub for visionary programs. Our mission is to lead and support the transformation toward communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Composed of leading green building experts and thought-leaders, the Institute is premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the future is a fundamental requirement for reconciling humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The Institute runs the Living Building Challenge, Living Community Challenge, Living Product Challenge, Net Zero Energy Certification, the Cascadia Green Building Council, Ecotone Publishing, Declare, JUST and other leading-edge programs. A global network of volunteers drive the local adoption of restorative principles in their communities.
