Read Habitable’s new report “Designing Out Plastics: A Blueprint for Healthier Building Materials”

ACTION

Take action to reduce plastics’ impacts

Habitable’s latest report, “Designing Out Plastics: A Blueprint for Healthier Building Materials,” outlines the myriad of harms caused by plastics in the built environment. Building professionals, green building standards, real estate investors, policymakers, and philanthropic funders all have unique and collective roles they can play to reduce these harms. Learn more about actions you can take below, and see Habitable’s Informed product guidance to help implement life cycle considerations and identify healthier materials.

Building Professionals

‘Design out’ materials that do not meaningfully contribute to a project’s function, performance, or aesthetics.
- First Community Housing uses existing concrete on the first floor of many of their affordable housing developments, avoiding the need for additional floor covering.
Consider full life-cycle impacts, not just use-phase exposures. Include human health and environmental impacts in your considerations when specifying materials.
- CannonDesign uses linoleum flooring—a healthier, no/low-plastic product—for healthcare facilities, including a children’s care center in Colorado. At a minimal cost premium, the facilities are able to reduce plastic use and toxic exposures while delivering reliable performance benefits.
Lead with product function. Select products based on their performance instead of material type.
- MSR Design has used mineral wool boards instead of plastic foam insulation for above-grade wall applications. The material retains its R-value, dries well, and is inherently flame-resistant, delivering critical performance benefits while being cost-effective.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Eliminating plastics from your projects may not be feasible, but you can significantly reduce or avoid the worst plastics by using Informed™ product guidance—while meeting performance and cost priorities.
- Side x Side Architects used PVC-free resilient flooring across their units in an affordable housing development and community center in Washington, maintaining performance and cost similar to standard vinyl flooring.
- SERA Architects installed cork flooring in high traffic areas at their Portland headquarters. Made from natural cork, the material has performed exceptionally well, showing no scuffing, damage, or fading. It is more expensive than most vinyl flooring but cost-competitive with hardwood. While most cork flooring still contains plastic, it typically avoids the worst plastics, including PVC.
Design with nature. Choose regionally-sourced and biological materials to help limit fossil fuel reliance, reduce waste, and promote a resilient and regenerative built environment.
- The Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota is locally growing, processing, and building tribal homes with hemp-based insulation. Their work demonstrates how a building product can be healthier for people and the planet when it is made from rapidly renewable resources, minimizes waste, and advances equity through community-controlled production.

Green Building Standards

Real Estate Funders

Philanthropy

Educate yourself on the life cycle harms that plastics cause and leverage plastic reduction to achieve your funding priorities. Reducing demand for plastic building products can have manifold positive outcomes, including climate change mitigation, pollution and waste reduction, and increased health and well-being for all.
- The Beyond Petrochemicals campaign funded Habitable’s research on the harms caused by plastic building products and actionable tools to select healthier alternatives. This work supports their mission to block the expansion of petrochemical plants in communities across the US, addressing the looming threat that petrochemicals pose to climate progress, public health, and the environment.
Invest in leaders who take bold action by using sound science and innovative design to deploy solutions and build capacity for collective impact. Pursue market-driven approaches that promote independent research, demonstrate actionable solutions, and combat industry greenwash. Market successes can pave the way for future policy interventions.
- Clif Family Foundation works to reduce plastics in buildings as a pathway to advance climate justice and health equity, particularly for fenceline communities impacted by plastic manufacturing. Through Habitable, Clif funding supported demonstration projects in affordable housing that pave the way toward systems change to replace toxic plastics in our homes and communities with healthy bio-based materials.
Share your story. Lead by example and let others in your ecosystem know how and why you have prioritized plastic reduction into your work.
- The McKnight Foundation advances climate solutions and racial equity across every aspect of their organization from strategic grantmaking, to their endowment, to their physical space. In a recent headquarters renovation, McKnight prioritized the reduction of plastic and avoidance of the worst plastics in their choice of office flooring. With support from Habitable, they reduced carpet and luxury vinyl tile products, avoiding more than a ton of future plastic waste.

Take action to reduce plastics’ impacts

Building Professionals

Green Building Standards

Real Estate Funders

Philanthropy

Policymakers

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