Mindful Materials has been making waves in the green building industry for the past few years. Their innovative and simple approach to material transparency is catching on with industry leaders and organizations who have struggled to make sense of the complex landscape of material ingredient reports, environmental product declarations, multi-attribute standards, and other ecolabels. Per their website, they are “convening people, building a common language, sending a clear market signal, and working to connect and contextualize materials data so each effort goes further than it would alone.” At the Natural Stone Institute, we appreciate their efforts and are happy to report alignment of our Natural Stone Sustainability Standard (standard) to their Common Materials Framework (CMF).

Like other multi-attribute industry credentials, the Natural Stone Sustainability Standard addresses a comprehensive set of criteria. Since each building material and industry are unique, these types of certifications are essential to understanding the hot spots within the life cycle of the product that are applicable to the priorities of sustainably minded design teams. For natural stone, the most significant impact areas include land impacts, transportation & chain of custody, water recycling, and ethical labor practices.

Natural Stone Sustainability Standard’s Alignment

• Ecosystem Health: The standard requires comprehensive reclamation plans for quarries post-operations and mandates the protection of water quality. It rewards efforts to reduce natural resource consumption, such as implementing water recycling systems.
  
• Social Health & Equity: The standard prohibits forced and child labor, enforces anti-discrimination policies, and encourages active community involvement. Compliance is verified through third-party on-site audits, and companies demonstrating strong social responsibility are rewarded.
  
• Circular Economy: The standard incentivizes resource efficiency, rewarding companies that optimize material use, promote recycling, and minimize waste across their production processes.
  
• Climate Health: The standard tracks energy usage and carbon emissions, encouraging companies to reduce their carbon footprint. It also rewards careful management of the material’s chain of custody to mitigate the environmental impact of transportation.
  
• Human Health: The standard mandates rigorous training programs and safety procedures to protect the health and safety of workers, recognizing companies that go above and beyond in fostering a safe and healthy work environment.

Aligning with the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework is just one of the many ways the Natural Stone Institute is enhancing its market relevance. By increasing awareness of the Natural Stone Sustainability Standard within the design community and streamlining its integration into project specifications, we are helping to generate a strong return on investment for companies that have taken the lead in achieving certification. As industry standards continue to gain traction and become a preferred approach for meeting green building goals, now is the perfect time to get certified.

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