LCA & material health results & interpretation Earthwool® Insulation Board
Evaluation programs
Declare
Declare labels are issued to products disclosing ingredient inventory, sourcing and end of life options. Declare labels are based on the Manufacturers Guide to Declare, administered by the International Living Future Institute.
How it works
Material ingredients are inventoried and screened against the Living Building Challenge (LBC) Red List which represents the ‘worst in class’ materials, chemicals, and elements known to pose serious risks to human health and the greater ecosystem.
The Health Product Declaration®
The HPD Open Standard provides a consistent, and transparent format to accurately disclose the material contents and associated hazard classifications for a building product.
How it works
Material ingredients are screened and categorized according to the hazards that international governmental bodies and toxicology experts have associated with them, based on two listings:
- Authoritative lists maintained or recognized by government bodies
- Screening lists, which include chemicals that government bodies determined need further scrutiny, as well as chemical lists not recognized by any government body.
Assessment scope and results
Declare™
Inventory threshold: 100 ppm
Declare level:
The Declare product database and label are used to select products that meet the LBC's stringent materials requirements, streamlining the materials specification and certification process.
Click the label to see the full declaration.
Knauf Insulation IB Board (Unfaced) |
|---|
|
Health Product Declaration®
Earthwool® Insulation Board with Foil-Scrim-Kraft (FSK) or All Service Jacket Plus (ASJ+) Vapor Retarder Facings
Inventory threshold: 100 ppm
Full disclosure known hazards: Yes
Based on the selected content inventory threshold:
- Characterized
- Screened
- Identified
GreenScreen® List Translator Scores
- List Translator Likely Benchmark 1 / Benchmark 1An LT-1 chemical score is based on lists that identify it as a Chemical of High Concern.
- List Translator Possible Benchmark 1An LT-P1 chemical score translates to Possible BM1 and reflects the presence of the chemical on Screening A or B lists and some uncertainty about the classification for key endpoints. Further research is needed on the flagged endpoint to determine if the chemical is indeed a GreenScreen Benchmark 1.
- List Translator Benchmark UnknownAn LT-U chemical score indicates that there is insufficient information to apply the GreenScreen Benchmark Scoring algorithm to the chemical. That can be a good sign. Typically, only hazardous chemicals are found on hazard lists. However, lack of presence on hazard lists can also mean that the chemical has not been well tested. A full GreenScreen assessment will need to be performed to determine if a chemical is a Benchmark 2, 3 or 4.
- Benchmark 3Prefer-safer chemical.
- Benchmark 3Prefer-safer chemical.
- Benchmark 4Prefer-safer chemical.
- No GS data availableNo data available on List Translator lists.
Total VOC Content
Total Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content for liquid/wet applied products. VOCs get released into the air as the wet applied products dry. VOCs can cause acute symptoms, including headaches and dizziness.VOC Content data is not applicable for this product category.
What's in this product and why
Declare level
Earthwool® Insualtion Board without a facer is Red List Free. The Red List is a list of chemicals that are not allowed in Living Building Challenge buildings. Being Red List free is our design benchmark at Knauf.
Earthwool utilizes a bio-based binder chemistry derived from corn that is formaldehyde-free (FF) and more interior friendly than phenol-formaldehyde (P/F) systems. It is the only FF glass fiber based board insulation on the marketplace today.
What's in the product and why
The ingredients of the unfaced variant avoids the 800+ chemicals of the Living Building Challenge Red List. This is primarily because of its bio-based binder adhesive chemistry known as ECOSE® Technology. ECOSE is based on dextrose or high fructose corn syrup instead of phenol and formaldehyde. Dextrose and fructose can be used interchangeably. The ECOSE binder allows the product to be validated by the UL Environment as formaldehyde-free. Formaldehyde is a Red List chemical.
The Earthwool Board ASJ+ and FSK facers do not meet Red List free because the facer contains a halogenated fire retardant (HFR). This is why we disclose the ingredients as an HPD rather than Declare used for all other product variants.
Red List Free is our development benchmark and we constantly challenge ourselves on elimination of Red List chemicals. An HFR is used on the faced variants because the products are for exposed applications and must meet stringent fire performance requirements. We are very aware of the concerns associated with HFRs and continually work with vendors on this issue. At the same time, fire performance is critical and current events relating to fire performance of building materials only support the importance of fire-safe products.
What's been done in the design and manufacture in consideration of the potential human health impacts in the use stage
Knauf led the industry in bio-based development to avoid phenol and formaldehyde in our processes beginning in 2008. This development was likely the largest green chemistry disruption of our era. Today, our competitors have followed or are striving to meet this benchmark.
The primary ingredient in this product is recycled glass. While recycled content may vary from year to year, the recycled content is currently greater than 60% by weight. The second largest content is silica sand which is sourced as locally as possible. The third largest ingredient is corn-based syrup (dextrose or fructose). As a result of using plant-based binders, the VOC profile of this product is very interior friendly.
The emission from our factories is also much better for our communities. We ensure our glass formulations have no serious health concerns by allowing our processes to be audited to meet European Certification Board for Mineral Wool Products (EUCEB) biosolubility requirements.
Where it goes at the end of its life
At this time, the product is landfilled at end of life. We take extended producer responsibility very seriously and have active programs to address end of life. There is no option other than landfills at this time.
How we're making it healthier
Knauf engages very closely with its vendors to eliminate and avoid chemicals of concern. No competitor has as many Red List free products as Knauf Insulation. We continually reduce our environmental impacts through recycled content and optimize our products by designing them to be transformative.
See how we make it greenerReferences
Declare
Earthwool Insulation IB Board (Unfaced)
Manufacturer's Guide to Declare
A comprehensive guide providing information about the program, the assessment methodology, how to submit material data to obtain a Declare label and how they are used to meet the Health & Happiness and Materials Petals of the Living Building Challenge.
Health Product Declaration®
Earthwool Insulation Board with Foil-Scrim-Kraft (FSK) or All Service Jacket Plus (ASJ+) Vapor Retarder Facings
Health Product Declaration Open Standard v2.1
The standard provides guidance to accurately disclose the material contents of a building product using a standard, consistent, and transparent format.
SM Transparency Report (EPD) ™ + Material Health Overview ™
- Verification Material
evaluation - Self-declared
KNA – 12032018 – 008
The material health evaluation is self-declared and done in accordance with the HPD Open Standard 2.1
HPD Collaborative
401 Edgewater Place, Suite 600
Wakefield, MA 01880
www.hpd-collaborative.org
781.876.8871
The material health evaluation is self-declared and done in accordance with the Manufacturers Guide to Declare.
International Living Future Institute
501 East Madison St.
Seattle, WA 98122
www.living-future.org
206 223 2028
© 2017-2022 | The SM Transparency Report™ Program is operated by Sustainable Minds® | Member, Program Operator Consortium | Privacy policy
- Knauf Insulation, Inc.
- One Knauf Drive
- Shelbyville, IN 46176
- www.knaufinsulation.us
- 317 398 4434
Log into your Project Library
${ loginErrorMessage }
Create my SM Transparency Catalog Project Library
You can save projects, download project packages, get spec help and request a quote.
Create my Project LibraryCreate my SM Transparency Catalog Project Library
You can save projects, download project packages, get spec help and request a quote.
We will never sell, loan, rent, trade, exchange, or share your name or your email with anyone.
Read our privacy policy.