Products & Materials

We are frequently asked about how a product or building material can become part of our rating systems. Green Star NZ and Homestar™ rate whole buildings, rather than building components such as products and materials. The New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) does not test, review or certify products or materials. Third party certification bodies are relied upon for testing and environmental assessments of products and materials with relevance to the Materials Category Credits.

Materials that have certain attributes are able to receive points which contribute to the overall score of a certified building. There are a number of ways by which products or materials can achieve points. For some areas, in order to award points we rely on third party organisations - those independent from both the manufacturer and supply side as well as from the NZGBC - to identify which products and materials are environmentally preferable compared to similar products and materials.

The verification of a building's green credentials by the Green Star and Homestar™ rating tools represents an exciting new opportunity for product manufacturers in product development and marketing opportunities as green building practices further penetrate the property industry.