Calhoun, Ga. -- Arthur Clarke, Metroflor/Aspecta’s director of sustainability, is actively involved with two mindful MATERIALS (mM) volunteer working groups, which are tasked with growing and advancing this product sustainability database by augmenting and enhancing its usability, developing and expanding upon its content, providing resources and guidance to manufacturers and users, and communicating with the industry and with members of the mM Collaborative.

Clarke has served as chair of the mM Portal Working Group since September 2018 (alongside Co-Chair Eileen Quigley, currently of WeWork-NYC), and recently joined the mM Content Working Group. mindful MATERIALS (mM) is a free, global product library with aggregated information on human health and environmental impacts for products from leading manufacturers, vetted by experts. The intent behind mM is to make it easier for architects, designers and end-users to make informed product choices based upon sustainability and transparency data, while also giving stakeholders a voice by providing them with opportunities to submit regular feedback to guide mM goals, strategies and decisions.

“All of our Aspecta products appear at the top of the list in the mindful MATERIALS library due to the robustness of our transparency data, including Health Product Declarations (HPDs) and Declare labels," said Rochelle Routman, chief sustainability officer. "I’m very proud of Arthur’s commitment and knowledge both within the company and as a volunteer. With Arthur on the team, I am certain that the mM library will remain ahead of the curve in what’s possible for product sustainability and transparency. His contribution impacts not just the flooring industry, but the entire building products industry.”

The Portal Working Group’s primary mission is to ensure that for manufacturers and users alike, the mM interface remains intuitive and easy to use. For manufacturers, this means that their data is easy to upload, edit, link to third-party certifications and reports; for users, this means that it’s easy to search products based on specific sustainability criteria required for their projects. The Content Working Group determines which certifications, labels, green buildings rating systems, and general information are included and also sets the baseline criteria that products must satisfy for entry. The goal of the Content Working Group is to review new criteria to determine how each one maps across the existing reporting categories within the mM library.

“mindful MATERIALS sits at the nexus of the sustainability and transparency revolution," said Clarke. "Architects, designers, manufacturers, third-party certifiers, NGOs, technology partners and more: They've all had a hand in creating and developing not only a groundbreaking resource for the exchange of information about sustainable products, but in building a community where progressive ideas about such matters are shared and cultivated. Despite different backgrounds and viewpoints, everyone has the same objective in mind – healthier buildings and healthier communities. As mindful MATERIALS continues to grow, so too shall our chances of meeting that objective.”