Materials Category

The Materials Category of the Green Star rating tools consist of Credits which target the consumption of resources through selection, use, reuse and efficient management practices of building and fitout materials. The credits reward reduction, reuse and the use of recycled and recyclable materials wherever possible.

The various environmental and human health impacts arising from building materials are reduced when use of virgin materials is limited and special attention is given to the selection of ecologically and health-preferable materials.

Green Star Material credits aim to address and improve the environmental impacts of building products and materials by taking into consideration issues pertaining to the lifespan, lifecycle and approach towards the use of these resources within the building fabrics of Green Star certified projects.

Material Credit Reviews

What are credit reviews?
Green Star credit reviews are an integral part of the continuous improvement commitment of the GBCA to ensure that Green Star rating tools evolve with the property industry to push the boundaries of best practice sustainability benchmarks. Reviews and potential revisions to some of the Materials category credits are being undertaken with an aim of keeping these credits abreast of emerging industry benchmarks for environmental performance and to provide clarity to a diverse range of stakeholder concerns which have been collected over time in relation to these credits.

How are reviews and revisions being communicated?
The GBCA website has a comprehensive section on Green Star which hosts a Materials page containing individual subsections dedicated to each of the current material credit reviews and revisions. These sections provide a background to the credit revision and contain progress reports, timelines, and stakeholder input summaries as they become available.

Current and upcoming Material credit reviews, revisions and related Material Stakeholder Engagement projects
Reviews and revisions are being undertaken or are scheduled to commence for the following credits and related projects:

Revised Timber credit

Products Certification Project (PCP)

PVC Minimisation Credit Review

Concrete Credit Review

Steel Credit Review

To locate the individual subsections dedicated to each of the current material credit reviews or revisions, please scroll to the top of the page and view the 'In This Section' menu prompts on the middle right hand section of the page or follow the links above.

What is the process?

The Green Star Stakeholder Engagement process will guide all current and future credit revision projects. Regular updates will be made to the Material Credit Revision sections following the steps outlined in this process.

View the Green Star Stakeholder Engagement Process flow diagram

Industry Reference Group (IRG)

The IRG has been created in direct response to stakeholder feedback received by the GBCA, specifically with regards to the Materials Credit Categories in the Green Star suite of Rating Tools.
The IRG is a 'virtual forum' that will operate by email correspondence, be moderated by the GBCA, and utilise a special section of the GBCA website to post the feedback and input of the group's contributions.

Read more about the Industry Reference Group.

Material Calculator Guide

The Green Star Material Calculator Guide explains the methodology behind the Green Star material calculators and clarifies the documentation requirements for each assessment criteria. This document supersedes the credit-specific calculator guidance found in the Green Star Technical Manuals.

Questions? Contact Materials@gbca.org.au