Recently, the General Guidelines for Good Materials Selection passed technical review and was officially approved. The standard was led by the China Building Materials Federation (CBMF), together with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development’s Center for Science and Technology and Industrialization Development and several other organizations. It aims to respond to the requirements for building “safe, comfortable, green, and smart” high-quality housing, advance the initiative of “Good Materials for Good Houses,” and address the long-standing challenges of “unclear information and difficult choices” in building materials selection.
Focusing on four core dimensions—health, safety, green performance, and quality, the standard defines basic selection principles, an indicator system, grading rules, and labeling requirements.
The health dimension strictly controls VOC emissions and introduces indicators related to antibacterial performance and formaldehyde removal.
The safety dimension enhances requirements for fire resistance, seismic performance, and durability.
The green dimension emphasizes lifecycle energy conservation and carbon reduction.
The quality dimension highlights performance upgrading and product traceability.
The standard classifies “Good Materials” into three grades and establishes an operable and verifiable evaluation and labeling process. It provides a clear reference for material selection in high-quality housing, affordable housing projects, and urban renewal initiatives.
The implementation of this standard will promote quality improvement at the source of construction materials, foster a sound ecosystem where “Good Materials match Good Houses,” support high-quality development of the building materials industry, and lay a stronger materials foundation for better housing—ensuring that consumers can enjoy safer and more reliable building materials.
Editor: Zhang Hanwen
Reviewer: Shen Yulu, Li Yuemei
