Living Product Challenge Basics
Imagine Products That Regenerate Nature and Improve Quality of Life
Welcome to the Living Product Challenge (LPC) – a cutting-edge, science-based certification that champions products contributing to both the restoration of our planet and the enhancement of human life. At its core, the LPC framework empowers manufacturers to redefine product creation, shifting from simply “doing less bad” to crafting goods with net-positive, far-reaching benefits.
Create for a healthy Future
The Living Product Challenge framework allows you to create or purchase Living Products that are independently verified to be:
- Made with Ingredient Transparency and Healthy Materials: Free from LBC Red List ingredients, ensuring products are human-safe and environmentally responsible.
- Socially Responsible: Respectful of workers’ rights, making a positive impact on communities.
- Net-Positive and Restorative: Generating benefits for our environment, producing handprints that are greater than their ecological footprint.
Search for current Declare and Living Product Challenge products on our public database!
HOLISTIC PERFORMANCE AND SCIENTIFIC RIGOR
The Living Product Challenge is organized into seven performance areas called Petals, similar to the structure of the Living Building Challenge. Each performance area has detailed requirements, called Imperatives, that help ensure a product is created in ways that are beneficial to humans and the ecosystems upon which we depend. Third party verified assessments, audits, and scientific rigor assure the validity of certification.
Handprints: Amplifying Positive Impact
Handprints are the core measure of positive impact co-created with a product throughout its lifecycle, surpassing “business as usual” practices. Imagine products that generate more renewable energy or create more potable water than what was consumed in their production.
Unlike footprints, which assess negative impacts, we focus on creating products with beneficial handprints. The Living Product Challenge provides the framework for businesses to achieve this, empowering consumers to choose products that contribute to a vibrant and healthy future.
Get inspired with these successful case studies!
The Living Product Challenge Ecosystem
The Ecosystem is composed of leading professionals in product certification and sustainability consulting services. By helping manufacturers design, achieve, and certify their products to the Living Product Challenge Standard, these leaders are helping us create beneficial impact at global scale. Contact us if you’d like to learn more about joining this important ecosystem.
Ecosystem Members
A Greener Space
GreenCircle Certified
WAP Sustainability
ToxServices
SCS Global Services
Why certify to the Living Product Challenge?
Future Readiness
In a post-pandemic world, resilient operations and sustainable practices are vital. Smart organizations are turning away from business-as-usual practices to reduce risks to human health, water, energy, waste, ecosystems and climate-stability. LPC provides a proven framework to reduce risks, exceed stakeholders’ ESG expectations and provide measurable positive impact to the world at large.
Market Advantage
Leading green building standards around the world reward the use of products with best-in-class health and environmental attributes. As architects, designers, owners, contractors, and end-users become more aware of resilient and healthy design, Living Product Challenge products will be instrumental to even the most aspirational projects. Consider the LPC your ‘product passport’ into any design firm, given its holistic approach, rigor, and third party verification.
Authentic Storytelling
Only dedicated companies will successfully achieve the Living Product Challenge. Differentiate yourself with the genuine distinction of LPC certification, telling powerful stories of how you’re simultaneously enhancing human health, environmental restoration, and social equity.
Employee Engagement
Embrace bold sustainability initiatives that attract, retain, and engage talented individuals while fostering a culture of teamwork and communication. The LPC’s multi-attribute focus provides a framework for operational excellence, and meaningful engagement for employees at all levels of your organization.
Alignment with International Standards
Our Declare and Living Product Challenge product programs are developed in alignment with ISO 14021:2016 Environmental labels and declarations – Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental labeling) – Clause 5 “Requirements applying to all self-declared environmental claims.”
Incorporated standards include:
- California Department of Public Health Standard Method v. 1.2 (2017)
- Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive 3, 2015
- Various Formaldehyde test methods
- ISO 16000 Indoor Air series
- FSC Chain of Custody
- ISO 14025:2006 Environmental labels and declarations – Type III environmental declarations – Principles and procedures
- ISO 14044:2006 Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines
- ISO 21930:2017 Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works – Core rules for environmental product declarations of construction products and services
- EN 15804:2021 Sustainability of construction works – Environmental product declarations – Core rules for the product category of construction products
A Better Future
The science is crystal clear: we need to act with urgency and purpose to restore our planet, improve social equity, and protect human health. The LPC first helps to reduce risks and footprints. Once that’s done, the rewards really start to show in the form of handprints, as you create net-positive ripple effects in local and global communities. Imagine a world where all products give more back to the world than they take.
Start building a better future today!
Explore the technical resources or register for the Living Product Challenge now!
LPC History: Acknowledging the Early Adopters and Collaborators
The Chrysalis
The Chrysalis was the first group of companies that created pilot Living Products, and in doing so helped to forge the development of the Living Product Challenge Standard that is in use today.
LP50
The Living Product 50 (LP50) was a group of visionaries in manufacturing who focused on driving industry-wide change by sharing innovative strategies, aggregating purchasing power to influence supply chains, innovating for greener chemistry in products, and advocating for sustainability-focused codes, standards, and purchasing policies. Their contributions live on in the Living Product Challenge today, and the benefits created for generations.
