Bill Walsh | July 2018 Newsletter
Building product retailers, such as Home Depot and Lowe’s, are showing welcome leadership in the drive toward healthier building materials. Their efforts are important both in scale, which could change the national supply chain, and scope, as these retailers are offering healthier products in all market segments, including lower priced items.
Gina Ciganik | July 2018 Newsletter
To know better, we need to understand what chemicals and materials are in our products, and the health hazards associated with them. Not that many years ago, it was nearly impossible to obtain this type of information. Fortunately, transparency leaders are emerging within product manufacturers and their supply chains.
Bill Walsh | April 04, 2018
To mark National Public Health Week (April 2-6, 2018) national experts in education, childcare, and children's health today issued a joint call to get the lead out of schools and childcare facilities. Their report, Eliminating Lead Risks in Schools and Child Care Facilities, is the first to set strategic priorities for reducing lead exposure to the more than 66 million children enrolled in schools and child care programs.
David Kennedy-Logan | March 08, 2018
Healthy Building Network (HBN) hired two staff in the first quarter of 2018, to bolster internal capacity, expand programmatic expertise, and drive future growth: Biftu Takele, Executive Assistant, and William Weber, Collective Impact Director. As part of our continued evolution, HBN is also currently seeking applicants for a new key leadership role at the organization, Chief Research Officer.
James Vallette | January 24, 2018
In January 2018, the Healthy Building Network research team produced technical reports on the trade, production, use and disposal of four highly toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals. Public health advocates used these reports to inform the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about previously unpublished ways in which these chemicals enter...
James Vallette | December 18, 2017
When the world seems stranger than ever, it is helpful to keep in mind the bright spots. The Healthy Building Network research team found that increased manufacturer transparency and informed customer demand has produced many signs of hope in the building industry this year. Here are our top 5:
Formaldehyde-free mineral wool in...
Gina Ciganik | December 13, 2017
To strengthen work on two important tracks — our cutting-edge, data-driven product offerings and our communications, knowledge-sharing, and fundraising efforts — HBN recently hired Amy Denardo as Senior Product Director and David Kennedy-Logan as Chief Communications and Development Officer.
Bill Walsh | October 25, 2017
Home Depot today announced a chemical hazard avoidance policy that will prohibit numerous toxic chemicals in paints, carpeting, flooring and fiberglass insulation products. The Home Depot Chemical Strategy, included in its 2017 Responsibility Report, targets a range of chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer, mimic and disrupt hormone systems,...
James Vallette | October 25, 2017
Home Depot, the largest building product retailer in the U.S., has announced a sweeping new Chemical Strategy that considers several building product categories, including carpet, fiberglass insulation, paints, and laminate flooring. (See related Healthy Building News article). Home Depot’s Chemical Strategy promises to accelerate...
James Vallette | October 18, 2017
"Eliminating Toxics in Carpets: Lessons for the Future of Recycling" - a new report by the Healthy Building Network (HBN) - calls for eliminating over 40 highly toxic chemicals in carpets that threaten public health and impede recycling. These toxics are known to cause respiratory disease, heart attacks, strokes, asthma, and immune and de...
