Session · Carbon and electrification · Designers and consultants

Hidden Impacts of Plastic Building Products

Rebecca Stamm, Habitable · May 19, 2026 · Chapter · PHCA (Passive House California)

Building and construction is the second-largest user of plastics after packaging. Their impacts on health and the environment across the life cycle, and how the industry can move to healthier, more resilient alternatives.

Key points

• The health and environmental impacts of plastics across their life cycle.
• The building sector's share of plastic pollution, with example products.
• Ways to reduce the impacts of plastics in buildings.
• Using Informed product guidance to select healthier materials.

Topics: Embodied carbon, Health