Manufacturers voluntarily disclose product information on easy-to-read Declare labels. These labels report all product ingredients and use a simple color code system to flag chemicals of concern. Further information is provided on the product’s final assembly locations, life expectancy, end-of-life options, and overall compliance with relevant requirements of the Living Building Challenge (LBC).
All active Declare labels are accessible on a free and searchable database. The database is used by leading designers, large real estate owners, and conscientious homeowners to specify products they know they can trust and that meet the requirements of leading green building standards, including the Core Green Building, LBC, LEED, and WELL Certifications.
By facilitating and simplifying the exchange of complex ingredient information, Declare has positively changed the materials marketplace to enable the creation of buildings that support human and environmental health.
Declare is a nutrition label for building products. It is designed to help specifiers quickly identify products that meet their project requirements. Declare labels disclose all intentionally-added ingredients and residuals at or above 100ppm (0.01%) present in the final product by weight. Each ingredient must be reported with a chemical name, CAS number, and percentage or percentage range.
Declare screens a product’s ingredients directly against the Living Building Challenge (LBC) Red List, saving project teams from the arduous task of vetting products by hand. The LBC Red List contains the “worst in class” materials, chemicals and elements known to pose serious risks to human health and the greater ecosystem that are prevalent in the building products industry.
A product’s compliance with the LBC Red List is represented on the Declare label by the product’s Declaration Status. There are three Declaration Statuses:
In addition to the LBC Red List, the Declare label demonstrates alignment with other requirements within the Living Building Challenge and Core Green Building Certification, as well as LEED and WELL certifications. These requirements include ingredient disclosure thresholds, VOC content and emissions, embodied carbon, and responsible sourcing, including FSC Chain of Custody.
ILFI has collaborated with approved third-party verifiers to provide manufacturers with the opportunity for third-party verification of Declare label claims. This optional program offers an additional level of confidence and risk mitigation through the review of all ingredients, supply chain information, and Declare label claims.
For more in-depth details on program requirements, download the Declare Manufacturers’ Guide.
The Declare Manufacturer’s Guide offers a comprehensive overview of the program and describes the Registering a product for the Declare label signals a manufacturer’s commitment to ingredient transparency and interest in connecting with leading building projects.
To begin the Declare label process, the manufacturer needs to have an active Professional Living Future Membership linked to an account in 3E Exchange, the software solution for Declare label applications.
Once registered, a manufacturer can begin populating information for the Declare label in the 3E Exchange platform. Each Declare application requires a complete Bill of Materials (BOM) listing ALL INTENTIONALLY-ADDED INGREDIENTS PRESENT AT OR ABOVE 100PPM (0.01%) IN THE FINAL PRODUCT BY WEIGHT. The manufacturer may upload its BOM directly to 3E Exchange or manually populate the BOM directly on the platform. Upon submission, these ingredients will be screened directly against the LBC Red List. Where applicable, the manufacturer must also report the product’s qualifications for additional Living Building Challenge Imperatives.
Label license fees are due at the time of submission. A new Declare label costs $1,100 USD for a 12-month license. Labels that are renewed within 60 days of the expiration date receive discounted pricing. Tiered pricing is available for manufacturers with 10-24 and 25+ labels:
| # of Labels | 1-9 | 10 – 24 | 25+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Label Fee | $1,100 USD/label | $900 USD/label | $600 USD/label |
| Renewal Fee | $900 USD/label | $750 USD/label | $500 USD/label |
As an example, if you choose to purchase 10 Declare labels, the first 9 labels will be priced at $1,100 USD/label, and the 10th will be priced at $900 USD. The total will amount to $10,800 USD. When you renew the subsequent year, if you still possess 10 active labels, the subsequent renewal fee for each label will be $750 USD/label, or a total of $7,500 USD.
The manufacturer may pay via credit card directly on the 3E Exchange platform or contact ILFI at declare.support@living-future.org to request an invoice.
Once payment is received, ILFI will review the submission to ensure that it is complete and meets program reporting requirements. If the manufacturer is submitting a label with third-party verification of the disclosure, then the selected independent verifier will be assigned at this time to review the application.
ILFI will contact the manufacturer to correct any part of the submission that is not complete or does not meet the program requirements. Once the review(s) have been completed, ILFI will draft the Declare label and share it with the manufacturer for final approval.
Declare Label Review Timelines: All listed timeframes will commence following the successful submission of all required information by a manufacturer or third-party verifier into the 3E Exchange platform, and payment of associated fee(s).
Once the label has been approved by the manufacturer (and third-party verifier, if applicable), ILFI will publish the Declare label and accompanying database entry to the public-facing Declare database. At that point, the manufacturer is also able to use the Declare label on marketing materials following the guidelines laid out in the Declare Terms and Conditions. The label license is valid for 12 months after the publish date. Manufacturers can renew for another 12-month license and receive a 20% discount on label fees.
For more in-depth details on the label process, download the Declare Manufacturers’ Guide.
For support with the label process, contact ILFI at declare.support@living-future.org or schedule an appointment.
The Declare database is a free tool that assists project teams to specify products they know they can trust and that meet their project goals. All active Declare labels appear on the database, which is searchable based on product type, manufacturer, and certification requirement. Entries include the Declare label, as well as a product description and contact information.
While the Declare label primarily addresses the product requirements of the Living Building Challenge, it also demonstrates a product’s compliance with the other leading building certifications and purchasing programs, including:
For more in-depth details on Declare program alignment, download the Declare Manufacturers’ Guide.
Regardless of building certification type, Declare can serve as a valuable framework to inform specification of healthy products in your project. Check out ILFI’s Materials Guidance and Specification Guidebook for more information about how to meet the product-related requirements of the Living Building Challenge.
Can’t find a product you need for your project? Encourage others to get Declare labels through advocacy for transparency.
ILFI partners with 3E Exchange to provide a robust material reporting platform and streamlined Declare product submission process. Declare manufacturers can create a dynamic bill of materials for a product, contact suppliers, link supplier and testing data, screen product materials against multiple chemicals of concern lists, contact ILFI for feedback on product applications, and seamlessly submit products for Declare through 3E Exchange.
To meet the increasing demands for transparent building materials in international markets, ILFI has partnered with capacity-building organizations to provide outreach and support to international markets. The Declare International Partner program provides local resources and expertise, along with label translation services, to manufacturers and suppliers in select markets.
The International Living Future Institute has collaborated with approved third-party verifiers to provide manufacturers with the opportunity for an independent, objective verification of Declare label claims. All approved third-party verifiers have met ILFI’s verifier criteria and undergone Declare-specific verification training. Interested in a third-party verified Declare label? Contact one of ILFI’s approved verifiers below:
ILFI has relationships with various material databases to streamline the product specification process. Declare product information is directly entered into Red2Green, Sustainable Minds, mindful MATERIALS, and BuildingEase databases.
