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DECLARE & LEED SIGNAGE

VERIFIED SUSTAINABLE DECLARE & LEED SIGNS 

 

Green Dot Sign® specializes in “Declare and LEED signs” and makes beautiful eco-friendly ADA and wayfinding signage for commercial green buildings.  We work with top building product sustainability organizations to verify that our eco-friendly signs are sustainable and can contribute to certified USGBC LEED, ILFI Living Building Challenge (LBC) and WELL Building Standard building projects.

DECLARE & LEED SIGNS DOCUMENTATION

Green Dot Sign Aspen Base ADA Signage is covered by a Red List Approved Declare label.  Declare is a transparency platform managed by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) requiring constituent disclosure to 100 PPM.

As of 2024 Green Dot Sign® aspen base signage is the only available signage backed by an ILFI Red List Approved Declare label. It took considerable product development and durability testing to earn a Declare label. Declare requires products material disclosure to 100 PPM, ten times the requirement for HPDs.  Red List Approved means this product does not contain the worst materials for our planet, including vinyl and phthalates.

Our Declare ID for Wood Base ADA, Code, and Wayfinding Signage is GDS-0001. Click icons for Declare ID details and to download a LEED signs product data sheet focused on Declare eligible wooden architectural signage and decorative elements.

Well Signage System Declare Label
Click for logo Declare label
Declare Label ADA Signage
Click icon for Declare sign product data sheet

GREEN BUILDING SIGNAGE CONTRIBUTIONS

Through a Declare label, signs made by Green Dot Sign can contribute to certified LEED and LBC building projects.

USGBC LEED v4.1 CONTRIBUTION PATHWAYS

Because they are a permanently installed product, sustainable signs can contribute to USGBC LEED® building certification credits. Under LEED v4.1 our LEED signs fits into the Materials and Resources category.  To learn more about signs for LEED building projects, watch this video from the USGBC Product Solutions Showcase.

MR CREDIT BUILDING PRODUCT DISCLOSURE & OPTIMIZATION – RESPONSIBLE SOURCING OF RAW MATERIALS CREDITS

Signs within the scope of our Declare label meet Responsible Sourcing of Raw Materials requirements as they are made of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody wood. FSC promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous forest management. Our FSC Certificate is C019842.

Additionally, signs outside of the Declare label can be made with FSC chain of custody wood.  Most commonly FSC signs outside of our Declare label are made engineered woods, metal characters or similar customizations.  We stock several FSC woods and many are available in the marketplace. It is easy to get the desired wood and work within your design pallet.

As long as LEED signs are not painted, they are eligible for our Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program.  Also, if signs fall within the scope of our Declare label, they are also 97% bio-based, which allows for a LEED credit multiplier similar to what is shown below.

LEED sign credit responsible sourcing of raw materials

MR CREDIT BUILDING PRODUCT DISCLOSURE & OPTIMIZATION – MATERIAL INGREDIENTS CREDITS

Signs meeting our Declare Red List Approved label are valid for Option 1. Material Ingredient Reporting.  Additionally, they qualify for Advanced Inventory & Assessment.  As demand grows, we look forward to adding third party verification.

LEED signs credit image material ingredient reporting

 

ILFI LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE (LBC) SIGNS CONTRIBUTIONS

Depending on LBC project goals and which petals you are pursuing, there are a few signage contribution considerations:

DECLARE & LEED SIGNS DESIGN

Review our Custom ADA Signs Design Guide to learn more about architectural wood signs options and the five key considerations when designing and specifying your custom wood ADA and wayfinding signage.

 

 

Custom Interior Wood ADA Signs

WELL BUILDING SIGNAGE APPLICATIONS & MATERIALS CONCEPT

Thoughtful signage system design can enhance WELL certified building occupants’ experience. Additionally, an effective, sustainable signage system can contribute to multiple WELL v2 preconditions and optimization points.

There are numerous opportunities for ADA, wayfinding and educational signage in the WELL Building Standard. For example, signage can be used to promote stair use over an elevator, discourage tobacco use or direct to healthy food options. Review our Guide to Certified WELL Building Standard Signage to learn more about the WELL framework and signage by WELL standard.

 

WELL MATERIALS CONCEPT & DECLARE LABEL SIGNS

The WELL Building Standard Materials concept highlights the importance of healthy materials and building product ingredient transparency. Green Dot signs meet Materials concept requirements and can contribute to other WELL preconditions and optimizations.

Green Dot Sign® aspen base signage is the only available signage backed by an ILFI Red List Approved Declare label.

COMMERCIAL GREEN BUILDING SIGNS

From ADA signage needs evaluation to sign design, fabrication, project management or installation Green Dot Sign® handles any part or all of the signage needs for your next LEED or LBC building project.  Message us today for a no obligation sustainable signage consultation, fast quote or free samples.

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WHY SUSTAINABLE SIGNAGE?

LEED signs are a small part of commercial building project budget. Therefore, signage is unlikely to be the deciding factor in whether or not a green building will achieve certification at a specific level.  However, sustainable signage is still important. 

As a long time sign pro, Simon, one of our founders, learned how nasty plastic signs are while operating a traditional signage and graphics shop. In summary, most business signage require high waste-rate manufacturing steps and are made of fossil fuel derived plastic that is never recycled. Signs you bought ten years will end up in a landfill,  and take part in an environmental experiment that will last…we don’t know how long.  Good luck, great-great-great-great-great grandkids!  

Green Dot Sign® was established in 2019 with the goal of reducing plastic use in signage.  Fast forward and, after learning about Health Product Declarations (HPD’s), we embraced the building product transparency process.  HPD development led to changes in our wood sign finishing and we stopped using certain less desirable inputs in all our signs.

Fast forward again, to the recently released Green Dot Sign® Red List Approved, Declare label: GDS-0001, Wood Base ADA, Code and Wayfinding Signs.  Our initial HPD was transparent to 1,000 PPM.  Whereas, our Declare label is transparent to 100 PPM and all sign woods are FSC. Additionally, we changed and thoroughly tested more LEED signs inputs in order to be ILFI Red List Approved.  The Declare label process helped all our signage offerings, not just those within the certification scope.

Green Dot Sign is proud to have earned environmental sustainability verifications from top building product transparency organizations. Also, we are thrilled that making signage environmentally sustainable has no real impact on the cost of inputs per sign. For more on sustainable signage, including a free to download white paper about the impact of traditional plastic signage and twelve suggested eco-friendly sign materials, go to our Sustainable Signs page.

More Sustainable Signs

DECLARE & LEED SIGNS TAKEAWAYS

Just because a manufacturer says that a building product is sustainable, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is. Ask your vendors to back-up sustainability claims with proof. The most cost effective and credible way for building product manufacturers to communication the environmental impact of their offerings is with HPD’s and Declare labels.

Green building credit frameworks generally weigh building products based on dollars spent. This means a project with low cost, harmful products can still end up in a building that achieves a high rating framework. For example, a $25 radioactive door knob could end up in a certified green building… crazy, huh?

While commercial green building frameworks and transparency disclosures are invaluable, consider sustainability when making big and small choices and think beyond credit contributions.

For organizations that value environmental sustainability, there are options. The signage industry is full of creative, hands on, experts who will quickly adjust to the market and partner with you to make your project as success.