HBN | May 2021 | Newsletter
HBN is proud to announce that CEO Gina Ciganik was recognized this week as a 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership Award winner!
HBN | April 2021 | Newsletter
This Earth Month, we wanted to take the chance to highlight some great conversations that are happening in our ecosystem. We compiled a list of some of the articles and media HBN staff are reading and listening to that we think you should know about.
Teresa McGrath | March 2021 | Newsletter
HBN Chief Research Officer Teresa McGrath shares how doing her job and keeping her children safe go hand in hand. This article uses a personal story to discuss two groups (or classes) of toxic chemicals found both in household dust and children’s bodies, and shares recommendations for how we can collectively use our voices and buying power to shift the market towards safer products.
Roberto Valle Kinloch | March 2021 | Newsletter
In November 2020, First Community Housing and SERA Architects announced a partnership to build a 66-unit housing project in Morgan Hill, California. The 66-unit apartment building will use modular construction techniques, offering a chance to explore healthier material solutions that leverage the technologies and standardized processes that are characteristic, or at least available to, the modular construction industry.
HBN | March 2021 | Newsletter
As Women’s History month is coming to a close, Healthy Building Network (HBN) would like to take a moment to amplify the voices of the next generation of environmental health leaders - the Agents of Change. If you are not following them, you are falling behind! Today, we will take a moment to highlight the work of one of those Agents, Dr. MyDzung Chu.
HBN | March 2021 | Newsletter
In the COVID-19 era, the building products industry has seen a notable increase in demand for materials containing antimicrobials. Antimicrobials, however, are typically not added to products to protect people from harm. Healthy Building Network partnered with others in the building products sector, the architecture and design community, and experts in academia to draft a joint statement clarifying what we know and don’t know about antimicrobials in building products, and calling for more research, transparency, and truth in advertising.
HBN | February 2021 | Newsletter
Using products that contain recycled content can be a great way to reduce environmental impacts and support a circular economy by keeping still-useful materials out of landfills and avoiding the impacts of manufacturing virgin materials. Unfortunately, some recycled materials contain toxic chemicals that come along for the ride when incorporated into new products.
HBN | February 2021 | Newsletter
HBN is thrilled to welcome Cassidy Clarity as our new Materials Researcher! Cassidy will work with our research team to better understand what chemicals are used in the manufacturing of building materials and the impacts these chemicals have on human health and the environment.
HBN | February 2021 | Newsletter
The Biden Administration has an opportunity to advance embodied carbon initiatives in a manner consistent with environmental justice principles. Central to this is a simple philosophy: It’s not “green” if it is not green and healthy for all.
HBN | January 2021 | Newsletter
While the broad effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far from over, the new year allows us a chance to reflect on what’s ahead and focus on how we can Know Better and Do Better in 2021. If you’re looking for ways to incorporate healthy materials into your resolutions for this year, consider these five resolutions based on HBN’s research advancements over the past year.
