Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced it has launched the Product Lens report, a new chemical disclosure tool to meet marketplace product transparency demands, which provides clarity by putting chemical hazards into context.
The Product Lens report was developed to address the needs of architects and designers seeking more transparency about the impacts of chemicals in products. Much of this demand is driven by green building standards and the need for improving the approach of disclosing hazards only. The Product Lens program was designed specifically with LEED v4 in mind and targets the Material Ingredient disclosure credit within the Building Product Design and Optimization grouping.
"UL's Product Lens report is unique compared to other reports on the market because it is a hazard disclosure tool that adds context and greater transparency about where the hazards exist within the value chain,” said Alberto Uggetti, vice president and general manager of UL Environment. “This prevents people from focusing on just the risk associated with chemicals and drawing potentially inaccurate conclusions that a product is harmful. It adds value to manufacturers who strive to be transparent in their chemical disclosures and allows their buyers clarity of the actual results so they can make smart purchasing decisions."
The program is a result of collaboration between UL Environment, MBDC and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, with the Product Lens program basing the chemical assessment on the Materials Health Assessment Methodology from the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products program. The tool was developed in partnership with MBDC and with the input of more than 15 A&D professionals. The result is a credible, easy to understand solution for the product transparency demands in the marketplace today.
UL Environment's pilot program includes 10 companies that have either completed some of their Product Lens reports or are in the process. Some of the participating companies include Allegion, Arauco North America, Belden, Mannington, Milliken and Sherwin-Williams.
"After thoroughly reviewing various options, we decided to partner with UL Environment, a globally recognized and respected company, to participate in the pilot launch of the Product Lens program,” said Alice Albrinck, senior materials product engineer for Belden. “The highly visual format of the Product Lens report allows for quick interpretation and understanding of potential risks, while also protecting proprietary information. In the near future, Belden will continue to lead the way by obtaining the Product Lens reports on hundreds of our products."
Product Lens reports are available in UL's Sustainable Product Guide.
Source: PR Newswire Assn. LLC
