Federal 'buy clean' construction materials label program unveiled

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a plan for implementing a new label program to boost American production of more climate-friendly construction materials and products.

The label program will prioritize steel, glass, asphalt and concrete. The EPA will implement the program using a phased approach that all material categories will be able to follow “at a cadence that aligns with the material’s market maturity and data availability,” according to the agency.

The phases are:

• Phase I: Data Quality Improvement. Standardizing and improving the quality of data underlying and provided by EPDs.
• Phase II: Threshold Setting. Using robust EPDs, data, and other credible and representative industry benchmarks to determine thresholds for specific material categories and types.
• Phase III: Labeling Materials and Products. Labeling materials and products that meet EPA’s criteria.

The label program will offer a tiered rating system for construction materials and products. Thresholds will be informed by a public input process before being finalized and will be periodically reviewed and updated to encourage continuous improvement and help users meet sustainability objectives. The top threshold tier will be designed to help recognize and reward innovative efforts to achieve deep reductions in embodied carbon associated with these construction materials and products.

To earn the label, manufacturers will submit an EPD for their materials to demonstrate that they meet the eligibility criteria.