Safety to human and environmental health, design for future use
cycles, and sustainable manufacturing processes among certification
criteria
MINNETONKA, Minn., May 24, 2012 — NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ biopolymer, made from
plants, not oil, is the first product of its kind to become Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM Silver by the Cradle to
Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
Cradle
to Cradle CertifiedCM is a multi-attribute program that assesses
products for safety to human and environmental health, design for future use
cycles, and sustainable manufacturing processes. The program provides
guidelines to help businesses implement the Cradle to Cradle®
framework, which focuses on using safe materials that can be disassembled and
reused as technical nutrients or composted as biological nutrients.
The certification is
recognized by environmental experts worldwide for honoring innovation in
sustainability. In the U.S., for example, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) includes Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM products in its
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) database for federal agency
procurement. These certified products also are eligible for points in the U.S.
Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification for green buildings.
“NatureWorks participated
in the Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM Program process because we
believe its holistic view of products is essential to understanding the true
totality of sustainability,” said Marc Verbruggen, president and CEO,
NatureWorks. “We are proud that Ingeo is among the first products in the world
to achieve this distinction.”
Unlike single-attribute
eco-labels, the certification program takes a comprehensive approach to
evaluating the design of a product and the practices employed in manufacturing
it. Each product is evaluated in five categories: Material Health, Material
Reutilization, Renewable Energy Use, Water Stewardship, and Social
Responsibility. Products can be Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM at one
of four levels (Basic, Silver, Gold, or Platinum) based on achievement against
criteria in all five categories.
NatureWorks worked closely
with consulting firm McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) to collect
data throughout the supply chain, assess all materials for impact to human and
environmental health, and evaluate manufacturing processes for use of renewable
energy, water stewardship, and social responsibility.
Products made from Ingeo span multiple industries and categories, including packaging, electronics, clothing, house wares, health and personal care, semi-durable products, and the foodservice industry. View this special edition Ingeo LookBook for a sampling of the latest innovations. The LookBook tells a compelling story of how far fibers and plastics made from plants, not oil, have come in the past decade. Follow NatureWorks on Twitter (@natureworksllc) for the latest updates.
Products made from Ingeo span multiple industries and categories, including packaging, electronics, clothing, house wares, health and personal care, semi-durable products, and the foodservice industry. View this special edition Ingeo LookBook for a sampling of the latest innovations. The LookBook tells a compelling story of how far fibers and plastics made from plants, not oil, have come in the past decade. Follow NatureWorks on Twitter (@natureworksllc) for the latest updates.
###
About NatureWorks
NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the
world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs
of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of
commercially available, low-carbon-footprint Ingeo™ biopolymers
derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and
economics that compete with oil-based plastics and fibers, and provide brand
owners new cradle-to-cradle options after the use of their products. In October
2011, Thailand’s largest chemical producer, PTT Global Chemicals, entered into
an agreement to make a $150 million equity investment in NatureWorks. The
transaction remains subject to regulatory clearances. For more information on
NatureWorks and Ingeo™, visit www.natureworksllc.com.
Ingeo and the
Ingeo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC in the
USA and other countries.
About the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation
Institute
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute was formed in March 2010 by William McDonough and Michael Braungart at the request of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to make available to a larger public the rigorous, multi-attribute product quality certification program originally developed by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC (MBDC) in 2005. As the new manager of the Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM program, the Institute works with leaders from academia, the NGO environmental community, government, and industry to further the comprehensive quality rating system for the assessment and continuous improvement of products. http://www.c2ccertified.org/
Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM and Certified Cradle to CradleCM are certification marks licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute was formed in March 2010 by William McDonough and Michael Braungart at the request of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to make available to a larger public the rigorous, multi-attribute product quality certification program originally developed by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC (MBDC) in 2005. As the new manager of the Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM program, the Institute works with leaders from academia, the NGO environmental community, government, and industry to further the comprehensive quality rating system for the assessment and continuous improvement of products. http://www.c2ccertified.org/
Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM and Certified Cradle to CradleCM are certification marks licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
About McDonough Braungart
Design Chemistry
MBDC is a consulting firm that regenerates economy, environment, and equity by helping organizations integrate the Cradle to Cradle® framework into their strategies, operations, and products. The Cradle to Cradle® design framework is outlined in the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. For more information, visit www.mbdc.com.
Cradle to Cradle® and C2C® are registered trademarks of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC.
MBDC is a consulting firm that regenerates economy, environment, and equity by helping organizations integrate the Cradle to Cradle® framework into their strategies, operations, and products. The Cradle to Cradle® design framework is outlined in the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. For more information, visit www.mbdc.com.
Cradle to Cradle® and C2C® are registered trademarks of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC.
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