Material IQ
Detailed sustainability data on the materials used in products
Profiles in MiQ provide comprehensive, third party-validated hazard evaluations ofproduct ingredients. This includes demonstrating compliance with ecolabels, standards, and commonly used banned or restricted substances lists. Profiles also include key environmental indicators like recycled content, CO2, carbon offsets, and awarded certifications. Finally, company contact information is available for users who want to contact manufacturers directly about specific products.
The Problem
Manufacturers have limited visibility into the chemicals and materials they use to make products. Material IQ is a response to increasing demand in the marketplace for greater transparency in the chemicals and materials flowing through complex supply chains.
MiQ provides a platform for more effective sharing of chemical and material data by addressing the following market deficiencies:
- Lack of a standardized method for evaluating chemicals & materials to identify safer alternatives
- Prohibitively high costs of material screening due to a lack of efficient infrastructure to collect chemical level information
- Lack of regulations guiding hazard information reporting
- Lack of adequate information regarding viable alternatives
- Limited incentives for suppliers to share confidential formulation data.
The Solution
Create a scalable, centralized platform that acts as a marketplace where all manufacturers can share the sustainability attributes of their products. Significantly reduce the costs associated with the collection and evaluation of chemical level information by working directly with upstream suppliers. Reduce the complexity of the information via a simplified user interface that can effectively communicate with a diversity of audiences who need or who are interested in having access to this type of information.
Why
Fundamental to our goal of promoting material health, Material IQ has been developed to help industry design and manufacture safer products. If we are to achieve this goal, it is critical that all stakeholders in the value chain have greater access to material health and other sustainability information so they are able to make more informed decisions about the products they purchase.
Sustainable Materials Management
Material IQ contribution to GreenBlue’s Sustainable Materials Management framework:
Material Sourcing
Key Indicators provides sourcing information about products such as recycled or biobased content, recyclability, biodegradability, etc.
Material Health
Product profiles provide a summary of a hazard evaluation performed by a third party expert, identifying potential hazards for optimally managing materials in the supply chain. Material health information is also provided in the context of standards, ecolabels or restricted substances lists that are important to various industry sectors.
Material Value
Profiles provide information about the inherent recyclability of a product as well as the intended process used for its recycling. Biodegradability and compostability attributes are noted if applicable.
If you want to know what chemicals are used in your products, you will need a team of chemists, lawyers, and hundreds of hours on your hands to dig into Tier 7 and 8 of your supply chain. For most companies, this is not value-added activity and it ties up resources at every layer of the value stream. MiQ offers a solution that brings scale and efficiency to the material, chemical inventory, and assessment processes.
Haworth
MiQ is a valuable tool to broaden the discussion of transparency with our customers. From our research, it is the best platform to make a products’ impacts and benefits immediately tangible to the marketplace. It also allows for engaging the supply chain with a mechanism for protecting confidential business information when necessary, while delivering in-depth hazard information on ingredients.
Designtex
Learn More
GreenBlue is looking for manufacturers to participate in pilot projects to explore how Material IQ can help them design and manufacture more sustainable products. Learn more about the pilot: