Leti Molina, Senior Mechanical Design Engineer at Vode Lighting, faced a critical challenge following the 2023 update to the Red List, which added fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) as a restricted material. This change put Vode’s Declare label at risk, requiring full ingredient disclosure to comply with the essential use exception for FEP. Despite resistance from their adhesive supplier to reveal proprietary ingredients, Leti and her team prioritized transparency and sustainability. They made the tough decision to switch to a new supplier to ensure compliance with the Declare program’s transparency standards.

This decision underscores Vode’s unwavering commitment to material health, product transparency, and sustainability. By redesigning their products and aligning with market demands for healthier building materials, Vode demonstrates how the industry is evolving to prioritize Declare Label disclosure and the values it represents.

What made you ultimately decide to change adhesive suppliers?

At Vode, transparency and sustainability are central to our mission. Our commitment to these values is reflected in our approach to product development. As part of our efforts to renew our Declare Red List Approved label, we encountered a significant challenge related to disclosing the material content of the adhesive tape used in our fixtures. 

This adhesive tape had been a reliable component in our products for many years. When the time came to renew our Declare label, which requires detailed disclosure of ingredients down to 100 ppm, we reached out to the tape manufacturer for the required material breakdown. Despite multiple requests, the manufacturer—one of the largest in the industry—was unwilling to disclose their proprietary information at the level required by the Declare program. Faced with this, we had to make a critical decision. 

Our team considered two options: redesign the luminaire to eliminate the need for the tape, or find an alternative tape manufacturer that could meet our transparency requirements. Given the importance of the Declare label to our customers, as confirmed by a recent survey we conducted, we opted to first seek an alternative tape manufacturer. We sent out this sustainability survey to a wide range of professionals in our industry, including agents, lighting designers, and other key stakeholders in the lighting community. The purpose was to gain insight into which eco-labels were considered most valuable when specifying or purchasing lighting products. 

The results of the survey were enlightening and made our decision clear. Out of a dozen or so eco-labels presented, the Declare label emerged as the top priority among respondents. The feedback highlighted that the transparency provided by the Declare label, with its stringent disclosure requirements, was seen as critical for ensuring that products met high environmental and health standards. Our customers and partners expressed a strong preference for products that carried the Declare label, associating it with a commitment to sustainable practices and ingredient transparency that aligned with their values and expectations.

Can you tell me about the process you used to find a new supplier that would be transparent with their ingredients?

We partnered with our distributors to identify potential tape alternatives. We provided them with detailed technical requirements, including tape thickness, bonding strength, thermal conductivity, and temperature resistance. Thermal conductivity was particularly important, as the tape needed to manage heat effectively to ensure the performance and longevity of our luminaires. 

Through our distributors, we were introduced to a tape manufacturer who aligned with our sustainability values. This manufacturer was committed to transparency and worked closely with us to find a tape that met all our technical and performance criteria. After reviewing multiple options, we identified two tapes that fulfilled our requirements. The manufacturer provided the full material breakdown for both tapes and we were happy to see that they met the Declare program standards and did not contain any LBC Red List ingredients. 

We then conducted rigorous performance testing on these tapes over a two-week period. The tests focused on confirming the tape bonding strength and thermal conductivity. After completing the testing, we selected the best tape for our application. 

With the new tape qualified, we successfully renewed our Declare Red List Approved label. This process reinforced the importance of transparency in our product development and strengthened our collaboration with both internal teams and external suppliers. It also highlighted the necessity of building strong partnerships with vendors who share our commitment to sustainability. 

What have been the impacts on your business and your consumers after switching adhesives and increasing the transparency of your products?

Since this project, we have continued to work on other material sustainability initiatives. We remain focused on improving transparency and also reducing the embodied carbon in our products. While we achieved our immediate goal of securing the Declare label renewal, our long-term objective is to completely eliminate adhesives and tape from our fixtures. 

Removing the tape would not only simplify the end-of-life disassembly and recycling process but also align with our broader sustainability and circularity objectives. This effort to redesign our luminaires to eliminate the need for tape is now part of our future roadmap. 

While this redesign effort is a critical part of our long-term strategy, the immediate priority was to secure the Declare label renewal with a suitable alternative adhesive tape. The results of the survey made it clear that our customers valued this label above all others, and it was our responsibility to ensure that we met their expectations by maintaining this certification without interruption.

Switching adhesive tape manufacturers was not an easy decision, but it was essential for maintaining our commitment to transparency and meeting the expectations of our customers. The experience has guided us in refining our processes and partnerships as we continue to push for greater sustainability in our industry. 

Vode Lighting’s journey reflects the broader industry shift toward sustainability and Declare Label transparency. Customers increasingly demand healthier, more sustainable products—and the Declare program is leading the way.Explore Vode’s commitment to sustainability at vode.com/sustainability. Stay informed about regenerative design trends by registering for Living Future 25 in Portland, May 6–8, 2025. Don’t miss the chance to join summits and learn from leaders in sustainability.

Allsteel’s Commitment to Healthy Interiors and Sustainable Practices

Lydia Neeley Tolander is the Senior Product Portfolio Manager at Allsteel. Following advocacy efforts made by the project team for the Stanely Center for Peace and Security, Allsteel began its journey into material health and transparency, getting its first two Declare labels in 2023. After discovering PVC, a Red List ingredient, in one of their components, Lydia’s team worked to reformulate and test changes to their products, ensuring that they met the needs of the project team while also being healthy for the building’s environment.

Lydia and her team’s journey through the removal of a Red List ingredient showcases Allsteel’s dedication to healthier, transparent material safety. Their efforts in identifying, disclosing, and addressing all ingredients within their products serve as a testament to the positive impact pursuing Declare can lead to.

What made you decide to remove PVC from your product lines and how did you make a business case for it?

At Allsteel, we’re focusing our commitment to sustainability by building a better portfolio with better impact that can create a better experience. This includes understanding and minimizing the impact that our products have on both the users of those products as well as the environment.

In 2022, Allsteel Beyond® architectural walls were installed throughout the new headquarters building for the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. The Stanley Center brings together people from across countries, cultures, and sectors to create dialogue and drive policy for mitigating climate change, avoiding the use of nuclear weapons, and preventing mass violence and atrocities. 

The Living Building Challenge was adopted to guide the center’s workplace design efforts and this space ultimately became one of only four buildings at the time to achieve full Living Building Challenge certification through the renovation of an existing building. Through our team’s partnership and participation in this journey, providing the necessary chemical disclosures for our product in this space, we were inspired to start the journey to meet the transparency needs to obtain a Declare label for our entire architectural products portfolio. We felt this disclosure and concept of total chemical material transparency aligned closely with our brand, values, and corporate-level goals.

This was a fairly lengthy process and involved significant cooperation from our network of supply partners. While evaluating one model, we identified a foam gasket tape used to minimize light and sound transmission, where our supplier was unable to provide the chemical composition. As a result, we sent a sample of this tape to Iowa State University to have the material analyzed to determine the composition. The findings indicated that this foam tape was PVC, something we were not aware of. With its status as a Red List chemical, it was immediately evident to the team that we needed to find a suitable replacement for this part as it did not align with our commitments.

Can you tell me about the process you used to remove the Red List ingredient from the product lines?

Upon discovering that PVC was present in the gasket tape, we quickly deployed resources to investigate and identify a suitable replacement. Our product engineering team worked in conjunction with internal materials experts and our supply chain team to find a tape that would meet the same functional and performance expectations as the existing gasket tape. 

Our engineering team started by gathering the customer requirements for the current version of the foam tape, such as visual aesthetic, size/shape, and compressibility. They then passed that information along to our internal procurement team and our external vendor partners with requests to find a material that met those requirements while also meeting the preferred material makeup requirement. These teams connected with primary manufacturers of such materials who in turn provided us with recommendations and samples to review.

With samples in hand, we performed fit and function testing and evaluated the options made available to us. We essentially validated that the function was equal to or better than the function of the previous material in our applications of the new material. This was a team effort over about a day, involving simple installation, some reviews, and approvals. Once alternatives were identified, the team completed the necessary application testing and eventually selected the replacement. 

Overall, the time commitment was a few weeks of work spread over a few months, with phone calls and meetings as needed every few weeks to stay aligned. Transportation and lead time of materials were big factors. Once we had determined the path forward, time to complete the material transition was also significant to avoid throwing away inventory of the old tape – we wanted to transition out of it as quickly as possible but also wanted to minimize the amount of waste we were creating in the process. 

We first identified that the foam tape contained PVC in September 2023 and started immediately working with procurement. We had tested, selected, and finalized our replacement by December 2023, ran down our Aspect inventory by March 2024 and transitioned for that product category, and finally ran down our Beyond inventory in June 2024 to transition completely away from using that material within our product portfolio. We updated our bill of materials structure for all applicable Allsteel Aspect and Beyond^® models to use the newly identified replacement in lieu of the previous tape.

What do you anticipate will be the impacts on your business and your consumers after removing the Red List ingredient from the product lines?

Our architectural products series consist of demountable walls that are oftentimes a replacement for conventional construction—an industry that produces a great deal of waste, dust, and other by-products that can be harmful to humans and the environment. For us, this creates an opportunity to innovate and do better. Our products physically surround our clients and their employees via the built environment and as a result, it’s our commitment to continuously re-evaluate our offering to ensure it meets the highest standards supporting human and environmental health. 

We find that this commitment aligns with many of our clients’ values, goals, and vision that they have for their workplace and makes it easy to continue to invest in our product solutions. Because sustainability doesn’t have an endpoint, removing PVC from our architectural products portfolio was just one step in our ongoing journey to be better than the day before.

The desire to be part of something that exemplifies the positive impact people can make has led to coordinated efforts for the greater good. Collaboration among materials experts, project managers, various segments of the supply chain, and numerous internal and external teams resulted in the removal of a hazardous ingredient—PVC. This commitment to continuous improvement aligns with the values of our clients. Doing good not only has a moral benefit but also meets the increasing demand from clients for products that are healthy and sustainable. 

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Moore & Giles’ Path to Red List Free

Beverly McAuley, the Senior Director of Sustainability and Education at Moore & Giles, has advocated for material health and transparency for years. Her passion for material safety led Moore & Giles to be the first leather company with a Declare label in 2017. And now, because of her efforts, they have over a dozen Declare labels, all Red List Free, and most third-party verified. 

Beverly’s dedication to regenerative design and safe products transcends disclosure. By working with her suppliers to address hazardous chemicals within the supply chain, Beverly is changing the tanning industry. By leading with empathy and collaboration, she is safeguarding end users and protecting tanneries from harmful exposures.  

What made you decide to push your suppliers for the removal of Red List ingredients and to publicly disclose those ingredients?

Historically, people have trusted that the food we eat and the products we use are safe. Through the years, we’ve seen negative impacts resulting from that way of thinking, like using asbestos, lead, and Teflon in nonstick pans. Now, it feels like we are in an era filled with the desire to have the information to allow us to take control of our destiny and ultimately our legacy, through our decisions. That requires a certain level of transparency, whether it’s the food we put in our bodies or the products we put in our buildings. Moore & Giles became an early adopter and the first leather company to achieve a Declare label as our format of choice for ingredient transparency. 

Our process to achieve full material disclosure has been a journey—easy with some and requiring a bit more patience with others—but through gathering that deep level of disclosure, we’re now able to screen the chemicals against the Living Building Challenge (LBC) Red List to learn more about their impacts. That’s all meant to provide a background of what got us to this point.

Our process in general, is to ensure that our products are compliant with specific regulatory lists, like Cal Prop 65 and REACH, in addition to restricted substances lists like the LBC Red List. When entering a product and its ingredients, if we see any red flags, we’ll notify the supplier and request that they remove the ingredient and substitute it with a safer chemical. That’s simply become our standard procedure. I assume if a substance is on the Red List, we should remove it. It’s the right thing to do. It’s better for all of us. The whole process has opened our eyes to exploring other ingredients, even if they’re not flagged against the Red List. We are approaching transparency from a place of curiosity by asking what each chemical does, if we must use it, and if there might be a better way. This method has led to some inspiring side effects, with our suppliers now doing the same thing, and seeking out innovative options. If we can replace a chemical with something that’s safer and will still create the same product, why not? 

What was the process you used to convince your suppliers to share their ingredients and remove Red List ingredients?

There is historic evidence that leather is older than fire, next to wood and water, leather is the oldest material humans are still dealing with in the built environment. There’s a long history there. Some of these tanneries, our suppliers, are family-owned, multi-generational, over one-hundred-year-old companies. When we started requesting information, it was unexpected and new because no one else was asking. 

We originally sent a supplier survey, asking for full material disclosure for all of the products we purchased from each supplier as well as another five-page document full of questions for them to answer. We hit it hard, received a couple of responses… and a lot of crickets. It was too much, not only because of what we were asking but also the tech side was confusing across our global supply chain. So, we corrected our course and backed up a bit. 

We worked on educating our suppliers on the why. Why are we asking for this information? Who else is asking for this (clients, project architects, etc.)? What are we going to do with it? It was important to make it clear that it wasn’t just Moore & Giles asking for this level of disclosure, but that there was a return on investment connected to the ask. This informative approach supported the fact that we were doing this for a good reason.

When we started, some clients didn’t even know what Declare was. But now, some design libraries won’t specify a product unless you meet certain requirements like the Declare label. The industry is evolving to support these requests a lot more than it did when we began.

After educating on the why, we provided step-by-step training sessions to guide suppliers through logistics. We recorded a virtual training on how to fill out the forms and how to give full material disclosure. The most important thing that was really concerning suppliers was that they were worried they were giving away all their secrets. Consider your great-grandmother and her most loved recipe. If she is like my Great-Grandmother, she is protective of her legacy and will leave out an ingredient so that no one ever makes it as good as she did. (True Story). 

Giving up that secret recipe and potentially handing it over to competitors is a common concern for many suppliers when it comes to transparency. So, we worked with Toxnot, now 3E Exchange, to help our suppliers understand how they can make an ingredient proprietary to protect their recipe while still providing the ability to screen against hazard lists like the Red List. 

Putting their fears at ease and requesting one product per supplier really started to shift things in motion. Once we achieve one Declare label with a supplier, they seem to get it and feel confident doing more! Today we’re receiving regular product disclosures and tanneries are much more open to the process. 

I often think about an experience I had with one tannery. Something had been flagged on the Red List, and when we reached out to them to remove that ingredient, they responded later to thank us. That doesn’t happen very often. But they reached out and told us that no one had questioned it. They’d always made it that way and never had a reason to change because it’s what worked, it’s what people purchased, and it’s just the way it was. And that right there is the way humans have been operating, whether it’s the food we buy, the clothes we wear, or the products we specify—it’s business as usual. However, in this case, when we questioned their ingredients and asked if they could seek a safer alternative for one product, they found a much safer ingredient and incorporated that change throughout their entire product offering. This created a shift in the way of thinking and changed the way we deal with that tannery now. If they make a change or find something innovative and sustainable, we’re their first call. We celebrate these positive shifts together, which is important for all of us to remember to do, as we navigate our way to a sustainable and regenerative future. Today, this tannery is investigating regenerative farming solutions, upgrading to more energy-efficient equipment, and using renewables, in addition to material health. It is so rewarding to look back and see how that chemical change request was the tipping point to where we are today, with all parties looking through a lens of curiosity to ask, “What better solutions might exist?”.

What have been the impacts on your business and your consumers since removing Red List ingredients from the supply chain?

One important aspect to consider while you’re looking for sustainable attributes that we learned early on is aesthetic. The quality and aesthetic of the product needs to be as similar as possible to what the client is used, or better. You can be as sustainable as you want to be, but if it’s not desirable, it typically won’t be specified. Thankfully, the ingredient changes on our products haven’t had a negative aesthetic impact. We can’t tell the difference. Our clients can’t tell the difference and there is no change in quality or performance. The switch is a success and has been a no-brainer and encourages designers to consider sustainable products in their projects. 

The architectural and design industry has become more aware of the Declare label, and it’s recognized on green building platforms and scoring systems, helping our products’ recognition. Many design libraries, like the Genslers, the Perkins & Wills, and others who are making their own material specification requirements are also recognizing Declare Red List Free labels, emphasizing third-party verification, which is so important, and something we believe in and incorporate. 

All of this effort has led to more specifications resulting in purchases. That’s bottom line, return on investment right there! Some companies are still in that space where you have to prove ROI before you can do anything from a sustainable perspective. And for those folks, I can say that we’re there, we’ve done the work, and we’re experiencing results. Sure, it’s taken a lot of work and building trust to shift our age-old industry to this level of transparency. But now they’re just proud to be part of it and join hands with us to lead the way forward! 

Having a healthy portfolio of third-party verified, Red List Free Declare labels is important to us, and it will continue to be part of our plan. We’re beginning to see our competitors come along behind us. Paving the way is invigorating, but it can also be a challenge because rather than navigating an existing path, you are instead making the effort and investment through trial and error to create it. I always say celebrate your trailblazers in every market because they’ve done the work. Ultimately, we’re doing the work so that people will follow. My only question is: what’s taking so long?

Any final thoughts you want to leave with our readers?

Take the risk, BE the leader, and blaze those trails! I’m happy to talk to anyone about my process and the value beyond ROI that having a Declare label has brought our team and our tanneries.  

We will never fully realize the extent of the ripples of the positive impacts that are created from decisions like these. And that has to be okay. To companies that need proof of return on investment before change will happen: you are falling behind. We must consider and discuss the cost of doing nothing. When determining the cost of the materials we specify, purchase, use, and ultimately discard, we must shift to a culture of including the impact on our planet, human health, and future generations of using those materials and their ingredients as part of the cost, multiplied by the impacts created by frequent replacements if it is a low-cost, short-term product. We must choose well, not often, making verified sustainable choices that support environmental and human health and take an active role in a circular economy. These key elements need to become part of the ROI equation. For now, we might not know what the final numbers are, but we do know that there is an impact to every decision that we make, creating our legacy in real-time. The question is, will the legacy you leave behind be a good one?

The Impact of Declare Labels

Over the last few years as Declare has grown, material transparency has become the rule in sustainable building. The Living Building Challenge requires some Declare labeled products to be used in projects, LEED offers points to projects using Declare labeled products, and the Green Building Council of Australia recognizes Declare. As self-disclosure becomes more common practice, the industry is pushing manufacturers to do more. 

Building standards are starting to offer more benefits to optimized and verified products. Red List Free products—products whose bill of materials have been verified—and those that have done the work to improve their declaration status will be getting more attention as we move into the future. And we are excited to share the stories of three manufacturers spearheading that movement.

Breaking Barriers: The Moore & Giles Story

Suppliers often resist disclosing chemical formulas due to proprietary concerns. However, Beverly McAuley tackles this challenge head-on by working empathetically with leather suppliers, explaining the intent of the Red List, and educating them on the health risks of Red List chemicals. Her approach not only safeguards the end users, but also protects tannery workers from harmful exposures. Beverly’s success story can inspire manufacturers, contractors, and designers to adopt similar strategies for fostering change.

Overcoming Hurdles: Vode’s Journey to Transparency

Vode, a forward-thinking lighting manufacturer, faced the risk of losing their Declare label due to a non-compliant adhesive supplier and the use of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), a Red List ingredient, in their cabling. To comply with the essential use exception of FEP, Vode had to disclose all proprietary ingredients. Despite several attempts, Vode had to make the tough decision to switch to a supplier willing to disclose adhesive ingredients. This pivotal move ensured the continuation of their Declare label, demonstrating that changing suppliers is a feasible step towards material health and transparency. Leti from Vode’s experience can motivate others to overcome supplier challenges and prioritize transparency.

Achieving Healthier Interiors: Allsteel’s Commitment

Allsteel, known for its interior office facades, have updated their Declare labels by removing PVC, a Red List ingredient, from their architectural products. Initially, they only achieved a Declared status, but through persistent efforts, they successfully reformulated their products to exclude PVC and advance to LBC Red List Approved. This inspiring journey showcases Allsteel’s dedication to healthier, more transparent materials and serves as a testament to the positive impact of Declare labels.

Why These Stories Matter

These narratives from Moore & Giles, Vode, and Allsteel underscore a common theme: the pursuit of healthier, more transparent products. By sharing their stories, we can illuminate the significant strides made towards safer materials and inspire others to follow suit. Each of these manufacturers has demonstrated that transparency and material health are achievable goals, paving the way for a healthier future.

We invite you to delve deeper into these transformative stories through our compelling Trim Tab interview series. Hear firsthand how these industry leaders navigated challenges and made impactful changes. Let their journeys inspire you to prioritize transparency and health in your own supply chain.

Stay tuned for our upcoming series, where we celebrate the power of Declare labels in driving positive change and advancing our mission for a healthier world.

Shelby Aldrich and her husband, William, are pursuing Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification for their home in rural Pennsylvania. While undertaking this commitment to build a regenerative house made of healthy materials, Shelby has become an advocate, inspiring manufacturers to seek Declare labels, leading to more products relevant to LBC projects. To help streamline her advocacy and transparency efforts, Shelby created resources she has made available to the public.

How do you see material health and transparency affecting people’s everyday lives?

When I was in elementary school, we had a program that came and spoke to us about chemicals, and how there were certain products that our parents probably had in our homes that we should not touch. Cleaning agents, mostly. They gave us green stickers with a “yucky” face on them and tasked us with going around our homes with our parents and sticking those stickers on anything that we shouldn’t be touching. 

This activity prompted me to ask, “How do we know what is, and isn’t, good for us?” My parents told me that, in general, people wouldn’t manufacture products that are bad for us. And if they do, the product comes with warnings and must follow certain rules by the government. 

I upheld this benefit of trust that our well-being is the primary objective of manufacturers and governments for a long time. Because, why wouldn’t I? However, as I am now delving into the Materials Petal for our home for our future children, I am quickly learning that the manufacturing industry heavily relies on the mentality that “it is good until it can be proven bad” rather than “it is bad until it can be proven good”…especially in terms of the whole lifecycle of a product. Just because it is “good” in one phase of its life, does not mean it isn’t “bad” in another.  

We don’t want to fill our homes with products our children have to run around and stick “yucky” faces on everything. No one does. But at this given time, most of the pressure rests on consumers to be educated buyers, rather than on the manufacturers to take into consideration their product’s health at every phase of its life, and then be honest and open to consumers on what their products contain. 

Declare Labels are a great way to make responsibility rest equally on both the manufacturer and consumer. They do a great job of putting the health of a product onto a singular page in an easy-to-read format. 

What made you decide to pursue the Living Building Challenge for your home?

William and I were initially drawn to Passive House when we were designing our home. It was a standard of building that just made sense, and William even went on to become a Certified Passive House Consultant so that he could be the CPHC on our own project. When we learned of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), we were enthralled by how it elevated sustainable building to a regenerative framework that was actively being applied by folks. We wanted in.

The part that most drew us to the LBC was the concept that our home should give back to the ecosystem it becomes a part of. We both grew up in a rural county, very much in the middle of the woods. When we sought sites to build, we knew we wanted to raise our children in the woods as well. However, we wanted to build our home in a way that was minimally intrusive to the site. The LBC creates a framework in which we can actively strive to achieve a home that gives back more than it takes away from the land it becomes a part of.  

Your advocacy efforts led directly to three different manufacturers obtaining their first Declare labels. What about their products spoke to you?

Steller Floors 
Based in Pennsylvania, their wood floors are made in a way that no adhesives are used in the installation process. Instead, they use clips, which allow the floorboards to be easily removed at their end of life and repurposed. They come with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. While their fastener system is PVC, they have expressed efforts to change to a Red List Free alternative. 

Bingaman Lumber’s Thermally Modified Wood
Their place of manufacturing is less than an hour’s drive away, right up the Susquehanna River (we went to visit!). We intend to use their thermally modified wood—which contains no chemicals—as exterior siding and for our deck. Their wood is mostly obtained from FSC forests in Pennsylvania and New York.

GoliathTech Helical Piles
Using piles as our foundation allows us to keep the native soils and tree root systems more intact on our site. The helical pile foundation also will not impede stormwater flows, and it doesn’t use concrete!

Can you tell us a little about your advocacy process? 

I don’t think manufacturers want their children (or, any little one) running around putting “yucky” face stickers all over products in their own homes, either. And I try to remember that as I pursue the advocacy process. 

When we are really excited about a product, we become invested in making it possible to use that product in our home. I make sure to tell the manufacturer why we are so excited about their product and why I think their product is such a good fit for our project, highlighting all the good they are already doing as a manufacturer. 

Then I ask them if they can do more. 

I ask for Health Product Declarations (HPD) or Safety Data Sheets (SDS). If they have them, but they don’t disclose enough, I ask if they can provide more info. If they don’t have HPDs or an SDS, I offer a Manufacturer Inquiry Document for them to fill out. I advocate for Declare, expressing that if we need their product in our project, other project teams could as well (and Declare just makes specifying soooo much easier!). It is a long process. There are a lot of conversations going back and forth. Staying patient—but firm—on requirements is of course, important. It can get frustrating, but I know that my “asks” can be frustrating to them, too. 

When a product seems like it is not going to work out, or even when I receive a very blatant “not worth our time,” I try to remember that a seed has been planted. However small. 

What value does having products with Declare labels in your home bring to you?

I see Declare Labels like the anti-“yucky” face stickers . When our home is built, we can give our children “Declare Stickers” and they can run around and stick them on the products that make up our home. And we, and our kids, will know exactly what our home is made from. I think there is a multi-generational value in that. 

Want to access Shelby’s resources and learn more about her and William’s journey in building an LBC-certified home? Check out their website, Sustaining Tree, and their resources for LBC!