Denver, Colo. - Understanding the critical need for effective school construction and renovation, California's Collaborative of High Performance Schools (CHPS) was created with a goal of constructing schools, which foster more productive, energy efficient and healthy learning facilities. CHPS developed recommendations for construction and renovation of schools based on an integrated design strategy.

Based on extensive research of building products and design principles, one of CHPS' recommendations is the use of formaldehyde-free building products for safer indoor air environments. Studies show that formaldehyde can have adverse health consequences for builders, contractors and building occupants - especially children. Johns Manville (www.jmformfree.com), the only manufacturer to offer a full line of formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation, was named by the Office of the State Architect of California as an approved formaldehyde-free insulation manufacturer for use in all state construction projects.

Johns Manville's naturally white, formaldehyde-free fiberglass products were tested by the stringent Environment Specifications 1350 (ES 1350) test with a non-detect rating for all volatile organic compounds. Johns Manville Formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation products contain post-consumer recycled content, with a total average recycled content level of 25 percent. This reduces landfill impact by 90,000 tons annually, the company reports.

Additionally, since changing to a formaldehyde-free binder to a non-toxic acrylic binder, Johns Manville was able to use pollution prevention to remove over 100 tons of formaldehyde per year from manufacturing emissions. This achievement prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine that the company is exempt from hazardous air pollution regulations that apply to other fiberglass insulation manufacturers, Johns Manville reports.

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