sustain
healthHealth issue 2013and hypocrisy

The hidden truth aboutbuilding products,
ecotoxicity and human health...
and how it can come back to bite you.

The EPD: solution or
smokescreen?
Human toxicity – thedanger of doing nothing
An Action Plan for thebuilt environment
Why Forbo is acting NOW

creating better environments

“With leadershipcomes responsibility,
and there is one
thing I know to betrue. Leaders can
NEVER be satisfied.
We cannot afford
to be.”
S. Richard Fedrizzi
President,
CEO and Founding Chairman
U. S. Green Building Council

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controlledcreating better environments

The clear danger behind Controlled Transparency
Today’s architects, designers, developers and building owners have more
information about the safety of building products than ever before.
The tragedy is, despite this wealth of data they still aren’t getting the wholetruth about the environmental impact of the products they specify.
We believe this lack of knowledge is no accident. It is the result of aphenomenon we call Controlled Transparency, actively perpetuated bysome within the building products industry. From the outside, theseindustry insiders appear to be fully disclosing information on theenvironmental hazards of their products. The cold, hard reality is that data
is being manipulated behind the scenes to keep the full facts out of view.

transparency
Hiding the toxic twins:
ecotoxicity and human toxicity
Of all the issues being obscured bythis Controlled Transparency, thecurtain is drawn tightest of all on
issues of ecotoxicity (the harmful
effects of a substance on
ecosystems) and human toxicity (thepotential of a substance to do harm
to human life).

A surprisingly large number ofcompanies in the building
products industry would rather
ignore both measures of productsafety. Most disclose very little on theway their products affect the people
who come into contact with them,and the natural environment thatsurrounds them. Many tradeorganizations that represent them
are similarly unwilling to touch on
toxicity issues.

This distressing oversight may not be
altogether dishonest. It is quite likelythat some of the makers of flooring,wall covering and other construction
materials are afraid to take anhonest look at the issue, for fear ofwhat they’d find, on the misguided
belief that what you don’t know
won’t hurt you.

Coming soon: a ray of light
Right now, a team of constructionindustry experts are hard at workon a solution that promises to turnControlled Transparency into
refreshingly full disclosure.
Ecologically-minded designers
and construction professionals are
beginning to get excited over the
possibilities. On the other hand,some vested interests in the building
products industry are championing asolution that keeps the old tricksof Controlled Transparency alive
and well.

Who will win and how do we turnthis potential solution into aworking reality? The victory
begins when there is a demand fortransparency on the part of all thedecision makers who are impacted
by the built environment.
Architects and specifiers need toutilize it. Developers and building
owners must insist on its presence.
Everyone who occupies a building
needs to become aware of toxicity
issues. Most of all, the public atlarge needs to take its blinders
off and become aware of what
they don’t know, and how today’sControlled Transparency canhave a serious effect on
tomorrow’s ecosystem.

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The Environmental ProductDeclaration (EPD): solution
or smokescreen?

“With growing
production andgrowing consumption,
not to address thehealth impact ofchemicals in ourenvironment
is more than simply
unwise, it is insane.”
Dr. Lauren Heine, Ph.D.
Consulting Co-Director,
Clean Production Action
Director, GreenScreen Program
Principal, Lauren Heine Group LLC

The green building industry has along history of responding toenvironmental concerns withpractical solutions. Unfortunately, theindustry also has an extensive trackrecord of caving in to pressure fromvarious manufacturers who fund it.
LEED (Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design) was a great
step forward in improving the green

EPD

solution or smokescreen?

performance of buildings, and there
are high hopes for the new LEED v4
soon to debut. Unfortunately, the LEED
rating is a voluntary system rather
than a required standard. Under the
structure of LEED, a specifier is free to
avoid issues of ecotoxicity and human
toxicity. They may choose to focus onenvironmental credits that are easier
to attain, without losing the status of
LEED certification. If human healthand toxicity are important, shouldn’t
these disclosure credits within LEED be
prerequisites rather than options?
LEED has been a powerful tool formarket transformation, and it isn’t
entirely to blame for the lack ofenvironmental commitment on thepart of specifiers or end users. Its
existence proves one point beyond
the shadow of a doubt: Greenwashingwill continue to be alive and well as
long as we allow it.

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creating better environments

In theory, the EPD should help
industry professionals make reliable
judgments on the environmental
impact of the products they specify.
Similarly, a building’s owner or
occupant should be able to use EPD
information to gain assurance thatthe interior spaces they own oroccupy are healthy ones.

Fred Gerlich Photography

Unfortunately, reality can fall short ofthe ideal. Some major manufacturers
have used loopholes within thestandard to cover up toxicity issues
connected with their building
products. This avoidance of disclosure
could have serious consequences forhumans and the natural environment.

The specifications shell gameThe loopholes in the EPD for flooringproducts are subtle, but chillingly
effective. They were created bymanipulating the data requirements
for Product Category Rules (PCR), thetechnical documents from which
EPDs draw their information. Some
industry insiders have created theirown PCRs which remove measuresof ecotoxicity and human toxicity,
rendering the resulting EPDs
toothless. They justify their efforts on
the debatable claim that insufficient
data exists to apply life cycle
assessment to these impact
categories, arguing that emissions
testing is the only way to measure
human health impact. While thedebate rages, products like PVC
flooring and rubber flooring go tomarket with a clean environmental
bill of health, which falls far shortof the truth.
This cover-up will continue unless thepeople who specify interior finishes
demand something better and thepeople who must live with toxic
products stand up and do something
about it. As any productmanufacturer knows, stakeholder
demand is the most powerfulchange agent in any industry.

Some industry
insiders havecreated their own
PCRs whichremove measuresof ecotoxicity andhumantoxicity, rendering
the resulting EPDs
toothlessMichael Parker Photography

The builder’s nutrition label
Many in the green products industry
were excited about a recent
development that appeared topromise an encouraging step
forward. The Environmental ProductDeclaration (EPD) is a standardized
tool used to communicate theenvironmental performance of a
product. It works in the same way thata nutrition label on a food productinforms us about the fat, sugar andcholesterol in the foods we eat.

5Ecotoxicity and Human
Toxicity: the danger ofdoing nothing
Ecotoxicity and human toxicity arebroad and complex issues. They
aren’t always easy to categorize or
inexpensive to quantify. For thesereasons, it is tempting to simply
deny or ignore them.
Unfortunately, denial and ignorance
have become the most popular
options in the built environment.
Both can improve the look of abalance sheet, as long as it isMany companies have no problem
recalling them, due to the fact thatthey are still paying the astronomicalcosts of abatement and legal liability.
The business consequences weredisastrous for the productmanufacturers, and the consequenceswere equally staggering for thearchitects, specifiers and building
owners who unwittingly put these
toxic products to use.
• Huge costs of abatement,
multiplying with every new
remodelingpriorities
Ultimately, it
comes down to amatter of personal
priorities.
What will be yourlegacy; missed
opportunities, orhuman health andecologicalsustainability?

possible to use Controlled• Crippling lawsuits due to exposure,Transparency to keep customers ineven from employees who havethe dark. Pretending the issue doesn’tlong since retired
exist can sometimes seem to be a
• The emotional toll of knowing thatfairly effective marketing strategy.
your action jeopardized innocent
co-workers
The evidence of history proves• The genetic legacy of exposure tootherwise. The construction
generations yet unborn
industry can point to plenty of
instances when looking the other
Had we only known the effects...
way yielded a short term benefit
and reacted when the risk wasthat set the industry up for a
identified... these disasters mightlong term disaster.
have been averted.
Fond memories of asbestos
Remember the good old days ofasbestos, lead-based paint and urea
formaldehyde insulation?

1970 the risks of asbestos exposure
were first identified
1989 first regulatory actions were taken
to address the issue

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Taking the ostrich defense
Some would call it good corporate
public relations to minimize theenvironmental concerns connectedwith your product. Cigarettemanufacturers did it for decades.
Executives who live or die by thisquarter’s profit figures find it tempting
to bury their heads in the sand, rather
than introduce safer alternatives thatmight cost more in the short run.

creating better environments“We want to be
proud of our history,
and excited about
our future. We areabsolutely passionate
about making surethat a legacy of
toxicity doesn’t play
any part in that
picture.”Robin Guenther FAIA, LEED AP
Sustainable Healthcare Design Leader
Principal,
Perkins & Will

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The HPD and the dawnof clear transparency
A group of leading architects,
building managers and productmanufacturers have banded together
to create a whole new standard for
product hazard reporting that
responds more responsibly toconcerns of human health andenvironmental toxicity.

“What we’d reallylike to see happen in
the future is to have
universal disclosureof the contents of allbuilding products
and have that
information madeavailable to people
in easily usableformats.”
Bill Walsh
Founder and Executive Director,
Healthy Building Network
Source: HBN A Voice for the People

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The new standard is called the
Health Product Declaration (HPD),
and it represents a major step
forward in transparency that:

HPD

health product declaration• Incorporates the data from theEPD, combining it with trustworthy,
verifiable measures of ingredientsthat impact ecotoxicity andhuman toxicity• Creates a disclosure document thattruthfully indicates the toxicity impact ofa product on the people who live withit, and the natural environment that itexists within• Uses an open-source approach todeciding which criteria are included,
placing decision making power in thehands of architects, specifiers andothers without a vested interest in
the outcome
Best of all, the HPD will create a single
standard that can be used to create anapples-to-apples comparison of
products based on their ingredientsand comparative health hazards.

creating better environments

Everyone is part of thesolution
The true beauty of the HPD is its
ability to be impartial, while also
addressing industry concerns
about the fairness of standards.
Because the HPD is an open
source standard, no individual
can unduly influence it. Radical
environmentalists cannot, andneither can industry insiders witha status quo to protect.

HPD

Health Product Declaration

EPD
Environmental
Product Declaration

Industry professionals can have
input in shaping the standard to
keep it practical and fair.
Admittedly, it is difficult to measure
the absolute potential for future
toxicity without a crystal ball. But if
judgments must be made, it is a far
better idea to have everyone in the
product safety equation at the table
sharing all the information available.
It is far better for human health andour natural environment as well.

Ecotoxicity
Human Toxicity

Abiotic Depletion
Embodied Energy
Acidification potential
Eutrophication potential
Global Warming potential
Ozone Layer Depletion potential

Ecotoxicity – the potential
for biological, chemical or
physical stressors to adversely
affect ecosystems
Human Toxicity – the likelihood ofan environmental toxicant to havean adverse effect on human health
Abiotic Depletion – consumption of
non-renewable resources (oil, gas,coal, metals, etc.)
Embodied Energy – total energy
expended on sustaining a productthrough its complete life cycle, fromraw material extraction throughmanufacturing, transport anddisposal at end of life

Photochemical Ozone Creation potential
Acidification potential – the potential
for the product to contribute toacid rain
Eutrophication potential – theproduct’s contribution to water orsoil nutrients that cause algal blooms
Global Warming potential – emissionsof carbon dioxide or methanethat affect the earth’s atmosphereOzone Layer Depletion potential –reduction in environmental ozone
cause by chlorofluorocarbon emissions
Photochemical Ozone Creation potential–contributions to smog
caused by hydrocarbon emissions

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The manager in the
mirror: your personal
sustainability action plan.

“When you look at
it in the short run,taking a stand on
issues like healthand ecotoxicity canbe scary. But,
I’d urge you to takea long run view.
It’s a tremendous
opportunity for yourwork to have a real
impact on people’s
well-being.”
Mark Rossi
Co-director/Co-chair,
BizNGO10

No matter what role you play in thedesign, construction or real estate
management industries, you have arole to play in improving the future of
the built environment and theliving things that share our world with
it. By taking a few simple steps, you
and other professionals like you, canpromote an environment of healthytransparency and create a moresustainable world for future
generations.

futureimproving thecreating better environments

Fred Gerlich Photography

Step 2: Ask yourself the toughquestions
Before you make a decision on amaterial, be willing to consider all theways it could contribute to a healthy
environment:• Is it sourced from sustainable
materials?
• Is it designed to minimize
construction waste?
• Does it emit compounds that might
impact human health?
• Are excessive amounts of energy
or scarce raw materials used in its
creation?
• Can it be safely removed andnaturally recycled at the end of its
working life?

• Will its performance attributes
contribute to a more energy
efficient, healthy living space?
• Is it a sustainable product, or a
product with sustainable attributes?
Step 3: Be an advocate withinyour industry
By willingly speaking to others inyour company about the need to pay
attention to ecotoxicity and human
toxicity, you can use your influence tospread the word. Be willing to network with your colleagues in otherfirms about the issues, and work tocreate an ongoing dialog. Ramp up
your commitment by making yourvoice heard in industry forums. Get
involved in trade or professionalorganizations to advance the goal oftransparency. Consider getting in theongoing effort to establish effective
standards.
A great place to start iswww.hpdworkinggroup.org

Google just gave
the U.S. Green
Building Council$3 million to doresearch on
human health andbuildings

Michael Parker Photography

Step 1: Insist upon full
disclosure
If you specify building materials,
demand the information found inboth the EPD and the Health ProductDeclaration. Ask for full transparency.
If your request isn’t met, ask why. Are
you on the manufacturing side of theequation? Advocate for greatertransparency. Your career and yourcompany’s future could someday
depend on it. Owners or lessors ofbuildings can make transparency
and product toxicity a criteria inpurchasing or leasing decisions.

Truly making a difference takes
courage. It also requires that we keep
our eyes open, even if closing themseems more attractive. Our reward
comes when we see what we’ve
accomplished in the long run, as we
look with pride on a new generationof industry leaders who live without
the toxic legacy that has plagued ourindustry in the past.

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“LEED is an
important milestone,
but it’s only part of
the journey to market
transformation.
We won’t settle foranything lessthan the best forhuman andenvironmental
health.”Tim Cole
Head of Sustainability,
Forbo Flooring Systems
Past Chairman, US Green Building
Council Board of Directors

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environmental

creating better environments

We are eager to see implementationof the new disclosure credits in LEED
V4 and the new Health ProductDeclaration. We are encouraged by
the groundswell of demand for
greater transparency in the built
environment. The requirement forhaving an EPD and HPD does not
yet exist, but Forbo has decided not
to wait. We are introducing a newedition of EPD documents on our
flooring products, and each contains
an addendum that approximates the
new HPD standard as closely as it
possibly can.

This willingness to go beyond
government regulations andrequirements is part of a longstanding Forbo commitment wecall Compliance Plus. It’s aninitiative that includes sharing
complete Life Cycle Assessment
data with our stakeholders andnot simply complying with therequirements of the industry PCR.
LCAs allow decision-makers like you
to assess our products’environmental impact frombeginning to end...from extraction of
its raw materials to safe recycling orcomposting of the product after its
useful life is over. Complete
transparency is our goal, both in ourown products and as an advocate in
our industry worldwide. It’s all a partof striving for the highest standard:
the ultimate betterment of theenvironment in which our products
exist, and the best possible outcome
for the people, plants and animals
with which they live.

commitment

Andrew Doran Photography

Compliance Plus –the Forbo standard

Fred Gerlich Photography

As the host USGBC Chapter for GreenBuild
2013, the Delaware Valley Green Building
Council created the 2013 Challenge Pledge.
Forbo has pledged to have EPDs and HPDs
for all its flooring products. Will you join us?
http://dvgbc.org/2013-challenge

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Our passion:
Progress that Pays.
It’s our bottom line belief thatcreating change is good. Creating
positive change that is truly
sustainable is even better.
The people of Forbo are eager tosee real and credible growth inenvironmental stewardship. On theother hand, we know that the only
type of progress that endures is theenvironmental
type that also makes practical
economic sense for all.

“We are all inbusiness to makemoney, but we live
for the chance tomake a difference.”
Denis Darragh
General Manager
North America,
Forbo Flooring Systems

We believe sustainability shouldn’t
need to cost more. We strive every
day to create products that improveyour environment, while also
improving your profitability andimproving the quality of human life.
These are the three pillars that definesustainability.
Experience teaches us that losing
sight of any of these goals will be a
step backward when it comes to thebenefits that really matter:the long term health of our industry
and the welfare of our children, ourgrandchildren and many moregenerations yet to come.
Join us in the quest to make adifference.
Start by visiting our web site atforboflooringna.com/Environment/
truth

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creating better environments“You really can’tMore and more
tools are available
for your customers
to see what you’rereally made of.”Bill Walsh
Founder and Executive Director,
Healthy Building Network
Source: USGBC 2012
Leadership Award Video

Alexander Patho Photography

truth

hide anymore.

“It’s important towill I someday be
proud of this?”
Dr. Lauren Heine, Ph.D.
Consulting Co-Director,
Clean Production Action
Director, GreenScreen Program
Principal, Lauren Heine Group LLC

Fred Gerlich Photographystop and think...

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Forbo Flooring Systems is the global market
leader in commercial floor covering solutions.
Marmoleum, our flagship brand, owns a global
linoleum market share of over 60%, while
Flotex is the industry leader in the rapidly
growing flocked textile market. In addition tolinoleum-based products, Forbo develops,
manufactures and markets a diversity of highquality vinyl and textile floor coverings, as well
as Coral & Nuway entrance system solutions.

North American Headquarters
Forbo Flooring Systems
8 Maplewood Drive
Humboldt Industrial Park
Hazleton, PA 18202
T: 1-800-842-7839
570-459-0771
F: 570-450-0258
email: info.na@forbo.com
www.forboflooringNA.com
www.floorcostcomparison.com
CanadaForbo Flooring Systems
111 Westmore Drive
Toronto, ON M9V 3Y6
phone: 1-800-268-8108 (English)
1-800-567-9268 (Francais)
fax: 1-877-893-4680
email: info.na@forbo.com
www.forboflooringNA.com
www.floorcostcomparison.com

02/13/20K/MDW© 2013 Forbo Flooring Systems