Declare Certification: A Platform For Healthy Building Products
WHAT IS DECLARE® AND WHO BACKS IT?
Declare certification offers clear ingredient disclosure for healthy building products. It empowers architects, builders, and homeowners to specify products they can trust. Consequently, our buildings become healthier for people and the planet.
Launched by the International Living Future Institute in 2012, Declare® is a free online database. It simplifies complex ingredient data through an easy-to-read label. Designers and specifiers can quickly find products that support human and environmental health. Meanwhile, manufacturers gain a user-friendly platform to share material inventories and health information.
DECLARE LABEL: WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU?
Every Declare® label offers a detailed snapshot of a building product:
- Product Origin: Where it was assembled.
- Life Cycle Data: Expected lifespan and end-of-life options.
- Ingredient Inventory: Lists of all intentionally added ingredients with name, CAS number, and percentage. A color code flags chemicals of concern.
- Performance Metrics: VOC emissions and embodied carbon content.
- Red List Compliance: Alignment with the Living Building Challenge® Red List of worst-in-class materials.
WHY DECLARE MATTERS FOR SUSTAINABILITY
First, Declare® helps buyers rise above greenwash. Next, it speeds up the specification process. Then, it verifies compliance with top green standards—Core Green Building, LBC, LEED, and WELL Certifications. Finally, it provides a trusted, third-party report that reassures clients.
THE EVOLUTION OF MATERIAL TRANSPARENCY
Since its 2012 debut, Declare® has reshaped material reporting. In 2019, ILFI released Living Building Challenge 4.0 and Core Green Building Certification. Later, Declare 2.0 expanded the program’s scope. Today, it drives a holistic focus on material health. As a result, more manufacturers disclose at scale and enjoy price incentives.
COMPARE DECLARE TO OTHER LABELS
Like HPDs, Declare® labels count toward LEED v4/v4.1 Material Ingredient Reporting credits. However, they must be Red List Free or Declared and clearly noted if third-party verified. In LEED v4.1, third-party verified Declare labels earn 1.5 credits each.
THIRD-PARTY VERIFICATION: EXTRA CONFIDENCE
Manufacturers may choose an optional third-party review. Approved verifiers audit all ingredients and supply-chain data. Consequently, stakeholders gain an added layer of trust and risk mitigation.
ALL SLALOM PRODUCTS NOW DECLARE CERTIFIED
Furthermore, we’re proud to share that every Slalom Acoustics product now carries the Declare certification. From Millerighe and Tunnel to ECOrange U and ECOwall, each solution meets the highest transparency standards. Consequently, you can specify Slalom materials knowing they fully disclose ingredients and support healthy building goals.
“The Declare Label has positively changed the materials marketplace to enable the creation of buildings that support human and environmental health.”
