Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • The Security Leadership Issue
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Security Leadership and ManagementAccess Management

Sustainable Security Technology: Looking Beyond Energy Efficiency to Environmental and Human Health Impacts

By David Corbin
green-enews
August 14, 2018

Sustainability has become an important market driver in the commercial building industry. Building owners and facility managers understand that the benefits of using sustainable products extend beyond cutting energy costs and supporting a healthy environment for building tenants.

While energy efficient products are important, they’re not the only component of sustainable building design. Sustainably sourced and designed products can support the health of building occupants, can contribute to green building certifications, and are socially responsible by helping to safeguard the environment for the future.

Transparency is the new sustainability. Accounting for the total environmental impact is vital when designing and manufacturing sustainable products. Manufacturers must take into account where all materials are sourced, how they’re handled, treated and transported prior to manufacturing and distribution, and whether they have any qualities that can impact human health. Declare Labels, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs) help building designers by creating a standardized methods to disclose all materials used and their environmental or health impact.

 

EPDs, HPDs and Declare Labels

Declare Labels and HPDs can be either third-party verified or self-declared by manufacturers, but EPDs are required to be issued by a third party. Third-party certifications demonstrate the validity of a manufacturer’s reporting and helps to maintain standardization across the entire industry.

A Declare Label is a complete list of all materials and ingredients used in the making of a product. Manufacturers must report every material down to 100 parts per million, and must break down components to their smallest possible form. Declare Labels inform end users which materials are used and whether or not red-list chemicals are present in a product. This information allows for intelligent product selection during the design of a building, especially the Living Building Challenge.

An EPD is a standardized way to communicate information about a product’s environmental impact throughout its entire lifecycle. The product’s footprint during extraction of raw material, transportation, manufacturing, packaging, use and end of life is included in the Life Cycle Assessment within the EPD, so architects and end users have all pertinent information before selecting a product.

HPDs like Declare labels provide a standardized way for manufacturers to report the material composition associated with the product material. Much like consumers use ingredient labels to make decisions about the food they purchase and consume, these labels help to list out ingredients for commercial and institutional products.

 

Green Building Certifications

Products with Declare Labels, EPDs and HPDs, can be used to earn points toward green building certification programs. LEEDÒ, WELLÔ, and the Living Building Challenge℠ are very attractive to end users, and can offer a competitive edge. For example, some universities have used earning a green building certification as marketing material to potential new students because it demonstrated the university’s commitments to the environment and their students’ personal health, elements that are growing in relevance to that generation and beyond.

Oftentimes, the type of certification that a building receives, and to which level, is driven by the end users. Whether a building is Net Zero CertifiedÔ, a Living Building Challenge project or LEED certified is often determined by the people who own or occupy the building because they’re the ones who could be exposed to any harmful chemicals. Once the end users identify the requirements, then integrators and architects can help them earn the right certification through the project bid and specification process.

 

Investment

Though many sustainable products are available at similar price points to the traditional alternatives in the market, there can be a price premium for sustainably sourced products. When designing traditional buildings, architects can use whichever building materials get the desired results while being cost effective. However, when designing a building for sustainable certifications, there are potentially fewer choices of which materials can be used.

As the sustainability market grows, so does the need to look at sustainability from a holistic viewpoint. It is no longer acceptable to only consider energy efficiency; designers must keep an eye on the environmental impact and health effects of the materials used in their buildings. With Declare Labels, EPDs and HPDs, manufacturers can offer transparent data about the impact of each certified product, and support facilities on their own path toward sustainability. These documents help with the research process for customers and also encourage manufacturers to utilize the data for product optimization – a win for all involved in the journey toward progressive built environments.

KEYWORDS: energy-efficient security green security security budget security technology smart buildings

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

David Corbin, Director of Access Control Accessories, ASSA ABLOY

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Enterprise Services
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cyber Tactics Column
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

  • Duty of Care
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Integrating Technology and Physical Security to Advance Duty of Care

Popular Stories

Internal computer parts

Critical Software Vulnerabilities Rose 37% in 2024

Coding

AI Emerges as the Top Concern for Security Leaders

Half open laptop

“Luigi Was Right”: A Look at the Website Sharing Data on More Than 1,000 Executives

Person working on laptop

Governance in the Age of Citizen Developers and AI

Shopping mall

Victoria’s Secret Security Incident Shuts Down Website

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

June 24, 2025

Inside a Modern GSOC: How Anthropic Benchmarks Risk Detection Tools for Speed and Accuracy

For today's security teams, making informed decisions in the first moments of a crisis is critical.

July 17, 2025

Tech in the Jungle: Leveraging Surveillance, Access Control, and Technology in Unique Environments

From animal habitats to bustling crowds of visitors, a zoo is a one-of-a-kind environment for deploying modern security technologies.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • visitor management

    Technology helps power security through staffing shortages and beyond

    See More
  • 5_minutes_with_Kemper_1021_900px.jpg

    5 minutes with Kat Kemper – Using security technology within healthcare to minimize risk, increase efficiency and reduce costs

    See More
  • SEC0819-Profile2-Feat-slide1_900px

    Powering Cybersecurity at Global Sustainable Energy Facilities

    See More

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • March 8, 2012

    iSecurity Virtual Tradeshow

    iSecurity is a FREE online event designed to put the information you need, the people you want to network with and the solution providers you want to hear from at your fingertips.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing