The Living Product Challenge and Declare are two International Living Future Institute (ILFI) programmes that are applicable to building and interior products. The Living Product Challenge rewards products that are regenerative in nature and improve users’ quality of life. Manufacturers can use the LPC framework to rethink the way products are manufactured in order to create products that are healthy and inspirational, and that give back to the environment.

Ren DeCherney, Business Development Manager – Manufacturers + Interiors at the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), presented ‘Declare + Living Product Challenge certifications’. She explained that all the programs at ILFI are based on rigorous transparency and performance metrics, and that chemicals are evaluated not only on their effects on end users but also on the people who make products.

Ren then explained more about the ILFI’s Declare and Living Product Challenge tools, noting that Declare is the only certification that combines material transparency and The Red List; while the Living Product Challenge is the only framework that combines material transparency, life cycle disclosure and handprints (where handprints are all the positive impacts we cause to happen relative to “business as usual”).

Stephanie Richardson, Sustainability Coordinator at Humanscale and LEED Green Associate, then presented ‘Humanscale’s journey to 26 Net Positive products’. She explained that the Living Product Challenge is organized into seven performance areas (Petals) – place, water, energy, health & happiness, materials, equity, and beauty.

Having used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for many years, Humanscale has developed a number of initiatives that have allowed the organisation to offset its product footprint by 110%. These include:

• Having 25 of its products certified Net Positive
• Working with suppliers at all levels to identify and evaluate the ingredients in products, packaging and manufacturing processes
• Evaluating each ingredient for its impact on people and the environment, and systematically replacing chemicals of high concern with safer alternatives
• Minimising environmental impacts by using fewer parts and recyclable materials such as aluminium and steel
• Building durable products that won’t need to be replaced often
• And partnering with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to restore the once-rich ecosystem of the eastern plains in Cambodia.

View the recording of this webinar, which is CPD validated for SACAP, IID, ILASA & ECSA members, here.