What does LBC Red List Approved Mean?

Living Building Challenge (LBC) Red List Approved is a status indicating that a product is in compliance with the requirements of the LBC Challenge, but that compliance is dependent on one or more exceptions. It is one of three declaration possibilities (Red List Free and Declared are the other two) on the International Living Future Institute’s Declare Label.

For a manufacturer to claim its product is LBC Red List Approved, it must disclose 99 percent of ingredients and residuals present at or above 100ppm or 0.01 percent. The product may contain one or more Red List chemicals, but only if covered by an established exception.

For lighting fixtures which contain complex assemblies (like LED power supplies) which include small parts from sources currently outside of our control. For these and the <1% of proprietary ingredients, we were granted exceptions in alignment with LBC.

While the LBC and LightArt aim to eliminate the use of all chemicals on the Red List, exceptions exist because the building industry faces material limitations. All exceptions are temporary, and upon the introduction of alternative products and formulations they will be eliminated.

One such exception is the Proprietary Ingredients Exception, which allows manufacturers to withhold up to 1% of ingredients, given they have confirmed that this content does not contain chemicals on the Red List.

This declaration status was previously referred to as LBC Compliant. The terminology was modified during revisions to the Declare program in February 2020.

Download LightArt's Declare Label info sheet for more info.