Health Product Declarations: Counting the Payback
The ask seems simple: create a Health Product Declaration and move on. Yet many manufacturers hesitate, worried about cost, data hunting, and the infamous "round two" of ingredient questions. Here is why that hesitation leaves money on the table.
From paperwork to profit center
A Health Product Declaration (HPD) reads like chemistry class, but its real job is sales enablement. Architecture firms with formal healthier-materials policies grew from 27 % in 2020 to 61 % in 2025 (AIA, 2025). If your widget lacks an HPD, it never makes the shortlist.
The specifier’s short list is shrinking fast
The HPD Collaborative counts more than 15 000 current HPDs, up 182 % since 2023 (HPDC, 2025). Specifiers now expect disclosure as table stakes. Miss the disclosure, miss the bid.
Credits, bids, and door openers
LEED v4.1 awards one Materials & Resources point when a project team uses 20 products with HPDs (USGBC, 2024). Some owners write that requirement straight into Division 01. One point can swing a Silver rating to Gold, unlocking higher lease rates that average 7.5 % above non-certified space (JLL, 2025).
Risk trimmed, recalls avoided
Ingredient visibility is cheap insurance. When California added PFAS to its Candidate Chemicals list last year, manufacturers holding HPDs updated disclosures in days, not months, avoiding costly hold-offs at key distributors (CalEPA, 2024).
Operations: less scramble, more focus
Gathering bill-of-materials data can burn 60 to 80 engineer-hours per product (NIST, 2024). A structured HPD workflow slices that by more than half. Your lab and R&D folks stay on innovation instead of email chases.
Putting numbers to ROI
- Increased spec rate: even a modest 3 % lift on a $25 million product line equals $750 000 in annual revenue.
- Compliance agility: avoiding one missed-bid penalty (often 1 % of contract value) quickly offsets documentation fees.
- Staff efficiency: reclaiming 40 engineer-hours at a blended $85 per hour saves $3 400 before the first sale hits the ledger.
The numbers speaks for themselves.
Choose expertise, not guesswork
HPDs deliver when they are complete, current, and verified. Partner with specialists who run tight data-collection playbooks, know the HPD Open Standard inside-out, and stay neutral on program operators. The right partner feels invisible because your team is busy closing new specs, not chasing CAS numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does creating an HPD typically take for a single product?
With a streamlined data-collection playbook and responsive suppliers, first-time HPDs often publish in 6–10 weeks. Repeat products or product families drop to 3–4 weeks once data pipelines are set up.
Do I need third-party verification for my HPD to earn LEED points?
LEED v4.1 grants the Material Ingredients point whether an HPD is self-declared or third-party verified. Verification, however, boosts specifier trust and can satisfy owner-mandated QA checks.
Will an HPD force me to disclose trade secrets?
No. The HPD Open Standard allows generic descriptors or a patented ingredient name while still flagging any associated hazards. You keep proprietary ratios and formulas confidential.
Can one HPD cover multiple SKUs?
Yes, if the ingredients and their concentrations remain identical across SKUs. Color changes or regional sourcing shifts may require separate disclosures.
About the Author
Walker Ryan is a climate-tech entrepreneur focused on driving industrial decarbonization through better data. As the founder and CEO of Parq, he helps manufacturers generate high-quality, third-party–verified carbon disclosures at scale—accelerating a traditionally slow and expensive process. Before starting Parq, Walker led over $200 million in sustainability-focused investments as VP of Strategy & Growth at ReStream Solutions, following earlier experience in investment banking at Deutsche Bank. He brings a rare mix of capital markets expertise and hands-on sustainability knowledge to tackling the infrastructure of industrial emissions.
