Building a Tox-Free Future: The NonHazCity 3 Project

The way we design and construct our homes, schools, and workplaces has a profound impact not only on the environment but also on human health. While obvious dangers like asbestos and arsenic have long been banned from construction materials, many other hazardous substances remain in everyday use. Worse still, new harmful chemicals are continually being identified as science advances.

The NonHazCity 3 (NHC3) project, running from January 2023 to December 2025, was established to address exactly this issue. Its mission: to help municipalities, entrepreneurs, and individuals create healthier, safer, and more sustainable buildings by using toxic-free construction materials. Importantly, the project excludes large-scale infrastructure construction and instead focuses on buildings that directly affect people’s daily lives.

Why Tox-Free Construction Matters

Modern construction materials often contain substances that may be legally permitted yet pose significant risks to both human health and the environment. Exposure can occur throughout a building’s life cycle—from production and construction to maintenance, demolition, and material reuse. For residents, companies, and municipalities, this means that decisions about material choice carry long-term consequences.

By promoting toxic-free materials, NHC3 helps reduce exposure to harmful substances, supports circular economy practices, and ensures safer living environments without compromising economic feasibility.

Who Benefits from the Project?

The project is directed toward decision-makers at every level of the construction process, including:

• Municipalities, which manage public buildings and set standards for urban development.
• Companies, particularly those in construction and renovation.
• Residents, who play a role as both consumers and building owners.

Through outreach and guidance, NHC3 raises awareness, equips stakeholders with knowledge, and provides practical tools for making informed, healthier choices.

From Problems to Solutions

The project doesn’t stop at raising awareness—it also develops practical and strategic solutions for the construction sector. These solutions are designed to reduce hazardous substances in buildings and make tox-free construction both achievable and scalable.

• Practical solutions are compiled in the NHC Guide for Design & Construction of Tox-Free, Circular & Climate-Friendly Municipal Buildings (Output 2.3). This document offers actionable advice for architects, builders, and municipalities.
• Strategic solutions focus on long-term decision-making and systemic change. NHC3 piloted these strategies, reflected on the results, and documented best practices to support broader adoption across the Baltic Sea region.

Collaboration Across the Baltic Sea

The challenges of hazardous substances in construction are not unique to one city or country. That’s why NHC3 promotes regional collaboration and knowledge sharing. By working across towns and regions in the Baltic Sea area, the project strengthens collective expertise, accelerates innovation, and ensures solutions are transferable and scalable.

A Safer, Healthier Built Environment

The NonHazCity 3 project demonstrates that tox-free construction is not just an environmental or health issue—it’s also an opportunity. By combining science, policy, and practical tools, it equips stakeholders to make smarter choices today that will benefit communities for decades to come.

As the project nears completion in 2025, its legacy will be a set of practical guides, tested strategies, and a growing network of municipalities and professionals committed to reducing hazardous substances in construction.

The future of building lies in creating environments that are not only sustainable and circular but also safe for the people who live and work in them. NonHazCity 3 is showing the way forward.

Read the full paper O2.2_NonHazCiy-3-strategic-solutions-final

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