What Is an HPD and Why Is It Important for Manufacturers?
Transparency in building products is becoming increasingly important. Today, it is not only the technical or environmental performance of a product that matters, but also what ingredients it contains and how the related health information is communicated. These factors are becoming increasingly relevant for architects, designers, manufacturers, and specifiers.
In this article, we look at what a Health Product Declaration (HPD) means, why accurate and complete HPDs are important for manufacturers, and the key issues that may arise during the HPD preparation process.
What Is a Health Product Declaration?
A Health Product Declaration (HPD) is a standardized, voluntary disclosure system used to transparently report product ingredients and the health information associated with those ingredients. The system is designed to evolve as new health data become available.
An HPD document typically includes a product summary, content inventory, hazard screening, VOC information, and disclosure statements regarding product contents and potential health concerns.
Through this structure, manufacturers, architects, designers, and specifiers can access more detailed information about building materials and make healthier, better-informed choices. At the same time, HPDs support manufacturers in meeting market expectations and rating system requirements related to material health disclosure.
Who Manages the Development and Publication of HPDs?
The processes related to the development and publication of HPDs are managed by the Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC), a non-profit organization.
HPDC ensures that HPD processes and publications are carried out within a defined standard framework.
Why Is an HPD Important for Manufacturers?
HPDs can be thought of as a kind of “nutrition label” for building materials. They show what ingredients a product contains and provide health-related information associated with those ingredients.
An HPD must be prepared by the product manufacturer. The main reason is that the manufacturer is responsible for the accuracy of the product ingredient disclosure and the health screening information used in the declaration.
It is also important to distinguish between HPDs and EPDs. HPDs focus on product health disclosure, while EPDs focus on environmental performance.
HPDs are mainly used in the built environment. Paints, coatings, adhesives, tiles, flooring, and other construction products are among the product groups where HPDs are commonly used.
HPDs support transparency, healthy-material procurement, and compliance with project requirements or rating systems. They also provide credible documentation for green building programs such as LEED and WELL.
Some of the main benefits for manufacturers include:
- HPDs clearly show what is in a product and any related health risks, helping designers and specifiers choose safer materials.
- They support compliance with green building requirements and material health credits.
- They build trust by demonstrating that manufacturers are transparent about their product ingredients.
What Challenges May Manufacturers Face When Preparing an HPD?
One of the main challenges manufacturers face during HPD development is obtaining detailed product ingredient data.
Especially in multi-tier supply chains, collecting detailed ingredient information from different suppliers can be time-consuming and difficult. Proprietary formulations or limited data systems may also create gaps in chemical inventories and CAS information.
These data gaps need to be managed carefully. The main objective is to make the disclosure as complete as possible while still respecting confidentiality. This is important because the level of available information may affect whether the HPD meets the required thresholds and project requirements.
Another important issue is ensuring full compliance with the HPD Open Standard.
Requirements such as the correct structure, thresholds, formatting, and ongoing updates can create a continuous documentation and quality control burden, particularly for companies with large and evolving product portfolios.
How Does Metsims Support the HPD Process?
At Metsims, we support manufacturers throughout the HPD publication process.
Our work includes organizing supplier ingredient data, filling disclosure gaps, conducting hazard screening, and ensuring compliance with the HPD Open Standard.
We also verify whether the product inventory follows the required reporting format. In this way, we help manufacturers with complex supply chains improve transparency and publish their HPDs more efficiently.