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Even for the most tuned-in green builders and designers, sourcing materials free of harmful chemicals can be a huge challenge.

While tools like , a materials rating system created by the , have produced more transparency than ever, unearthing manufacturers’ detailed product information is still an arduous, time-consuming task.

鈥淯nfortunately, you can’t just Google it and find out what’s in something,鈥� Google green team consultant Anne Less said last week during a session of the Living Future conference in Portland. 鈥淵ou can’t go to the (Environmental Protection Agency) for that information; it just isn’t anywhere.鈥�

But determined companies, ambitious green building projects and recent policy initiatives are helping make it easier to know which chemicals are making their way into the built environment.

Google is abiding by the ‘s red list of forbidden chemicals for all of its building projects in North America, and is piloting the program for an international expansion. Through tenant improvement projects over the past two years, the Internet giant has made nearly half of its building portfolio red-list compliant, Less said.

But it hasn’t been easy. The red list includes substances extremely common in building materials, and many manufacturers are reluctant to share the chemical makeup of products. Researching and documenting one product can take up to 20 hours, according to Daniel Haas, preconstruction manager for .

鈥淕oogle is a great, big, wonderful company,鈥� Less said. 鈥淏ut we need a thousand Googles in order to make this really happen. We’re not enough.鈥�

Project teams are starting to share more information and strategies to help reduce the time-consuming materials research. One such coalition was formed by Google’s green team, the Oregon Sustainability Center group, and developers working on Seattle’s Bullitt Center 鈥� a six-story Living Building Challenge project.

All of the groups found it extremely important to discuss materials early, use an intensely integrated process, and communicate directly with manufacturers. Haas said those strategies helped reduce research time to approximately two and a half hours per product during design of the Oregon Sustainability Center.

With more than 100 Living Building Challenge projects 鈥� some much larger in scale than earlier ones 鈥� under way, red-list proponents are focusing even more on ways to encourage transparency.

However, many manufacturers are reluctant to share proprietary information, others don’t want to publicize their use of potentially harmful chemicals, and still others simply do not know products’ exact chemical breakdowns.

Two new policies in Oregon are aiming to increase transparency and encourage more sustainable manufacturing practices. An executive order signed by Gov. John Kitzhaber last week requires state agencies to rework their purchasing guidelines for building materials, furniture and other products in favor of nontoxic substitutes.

The order also requires agencies to develop programs to promote Oregon’s 鈥済reen chemistry鈥� industry, which includes companies that design or manufacture chemicals, products or materials with fewer toxic chemicals.

Also last week, the city of Portland and Multnomah County unveiled a new 鈥淗ealthy Purchasing Initiative.鈥� Starting with a pilot program this summer, manufacturers of products purchased by the local government will be expected to reveal any hazardous chemical ingredients.

鈥淚t’s a logical place to start,鈥� said Colin Price, research director for the Oregon Environmental Council, an organization that helped develop both policies. 鈥淲e can’t do everything right now, but the intent behind these initiatives is to foster innovation.鈥�

The policies may help manufacturers feel more invested in the green building movement, according to Priya Premchandran, a associate who worked on the materials team for the Oregon Sustainability Center. Dialogue between designers and manufacturers may progress if manufacturers feel like they have a role to play in the Living Building Challenge.

鈥淲e really need to make everyone feel invested,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he city and the county can start to create leverage so we can all make more informed decisions.鈥�