Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute C2CPII: Train 100 Assessors, Certify 1,000 Products

Geschreven op 20-5-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Cradle to Cradle - Circulair

2 oktober 2010: Zo, de naam van het Green Products Innovation Institute is alweer gewijzigd. Op zich best logisch om dit instituut, dat zich vooral gaat bezig houden met Cradle to Cradle certificering, de nieuwe naam Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute te geven.

Ook mooi dat men gelijk de doelstellingen voor 2015 bekend heeft gemaakt: Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute Pledges to Train 100 Assessors and Certify 1,000 Products by 2015.

Zie ook: Bill McDonough, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute Interview at GGCS3 by Hub Culture - The Importance of Cradle to Cradle Certification Explained by Jay Bolus MBDC – MBDC Announces 2009 Cradle to Cradle Certification Milestones - Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute Product Design Challenge VI

Groene Dromen: Cradle to Cradle – Een Circulaire Economie by VPRO Tegenlicht – Cradle to Cradle in Bedrijf en Cradle to Cradle (Afval=voedsel) – Die Cradle to Cradle Community boek van Braungart en McDonough – William McDonough: The wisdom of designing Cradle to Cradle TED Talks – Inspired by Cradle to Cradle: Cradle to Cradle Practise in Education – Cradle to Cradle boek – Cradle to Cradle: “Be good, not less bad” by Michael Braungart – Video Cradle To Cradle Explained

20 mei 2010: Mooi hoor, in San Francisco opent Arnold Schwarzenegger het eerste Cradle to Cradle Instituut in de wereld en vanuit Nederland is stichting DOEN daarbij betrokken met een financiële bijdrage. Founding fathers van het instituut zijn ondermeer Robert Kennedy Jr. en Brad Pitt.

Gouverneur Arnold Schwarzenegger is zeer nauw betrokken bij de oprichting van het Green Product Innovation Institute. Zijn streven is om nog dit jaar bedrijven te verplichten het gebruik van schadelijke chemicaliën/producten (‘chemicals of concern’) te stoppen, deze te vervangen en om hiervoor de Cradle to Cradle werkwijze toe te passen. Dit is het gevolg van het Green Chemistry Programma dat eind 2008 gestart is.

Voor Schwarzenegger heeft deze wetgeving topprioriteit voordat hij eind 2010 stopt met zijn gouverneurschap. De verwachting is dat als Californië ‘chemicals of concern’ verbiedt en Cradle to Cradle voorschrijft, andere overheden wel zullen moeten volgen.

De oprichting van het Green Products Innovation Institute is cruciaal omdat hiermee kennis over Cradle to Cradle breed toegankelijk wordt gemaakt. Het toepassen van Cradle to Cradle kan een ware revolutie betekenen in hoe producten gemaakt worden (geen afval meer). Echter, het enthousiasme of de ‘hype’ over Cradle to Cradle heeft tot nu toe nog niet geleid tot een brede, praktische en, consistente toepassing voor meerdere producten.Om de groei aan te kunnen en het C2C-concept breed te ontsluiten hebben McDonough en Braungart besloten het certificeringsproces en bestaande kennis/informatie aan het instituut over te dragen.

The Green Products Innovation Institute in San Francisco extends the success of the Cradle to Cradle framework to protect millions of people from toxic chemicals and unleash a wave of business innovation. We are helping the State of California create the world’s first sustainable economy and fostering a new generation of sustainable products worldwide.

Major Changes for Cradle to Cradle Certification: GPII will take over the review of Cradle to Cradle applications and issue certifications. Over the next few years, GPII will gradually assume management and further development of the Cradle to Cradle Certification protocols. To date, 100 companies have engaged in the Cradle to Cradle process, and 300 products currently carry the certification.

In managing the Cradle to Cradle Certification system, GPII will train and certify assessors (called “Licensed Assessment Partners” or LAPs), who will assist manufacturers in complying with certification requirements as well as regulations of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). MBDC will help the Institute train LAPs until the Institute has the capacity to do so on its own. “In other words, we’ll help create our own competition,” quips Ken Alston, CEO of MBDC. In this process, MBDC will itself become an LAP and will continue to consult with the industry to apply the Cradle to Cradle framework to product and process design.

GPII also plans to develop an open, public database that “tracks product chemical data and also creates a list of ‘positive’ alternative chemicals, materials, and processes.” Companies that participate in the GPII process will “voluntarily share information about the chemistry of their materials, along with manufacturing processes, to help transform the industry as a whole,” according to the organization’s website. To protect manufacturers’ intellectual property, part of the database will be proprietary. The characteristics of specific chemicals used in these proprietary formulations will become part of the publicly available portion of the database and will be used in creating a list of chemicals, materials, and processes that are deemed to be safe.

During the transition period, MBDC will spend four to six months creating a Version 3 of the Cradle to Cradle certification system, which the institute will adopt and roll out. When asked whether Version 3 of Cradle to Cradle will fix the terminology problem that EBN addressed in the above-referenced editorial (that at the lower levels of certification, Cradle to Cradle isn’t really certification, but rather more of a review process), Alston told EBN that he thinks that concern will be resolved. “I’d say it is highly likely that there will be a ‘non-certified’ lower level in the next generation of the certification program,” he said.

There are four levels of product certification: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum. In order to be certified at a certain level, a product must meet the minimum criteria for that level in all five criteria categories: Material Health, Material Reutilization, Renewable Energy Use, Water Stewardship, and Social Responsibility.

General Description of Certification Levels: BRONZE
• All chemicals in product identified down to 100ppm level (0.01%)
• No PVC, chloroprene, or related chemical at any concentration
• All materials and chemicals assessed for toxicity to human and environmental health
• Strategy developed to optimize all remaining problematic chemicals
• All materials defined as technical nutrients to be recycled or biological nutrients to be composted

General Description of Certification Levels: SILVER
• All requirements met at BASIC level
• Halogenated hydrocarbon content <100ppm
• Toxic heavy metal content (Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr+6)< 100ppm
• Material Reutilization score >=50
• Quantify the energy required for manufacturing (final assembly)
• Characterize energy sources and develop strategy for including renewable energy
• Adopt company wide water stewardship principles or guidelines

General Description of Certification Levels: GOLD
• All requirements met at BASIC and SILVER levels
• NO problematic chemicals (assessed by MBDC as RED) in product
• Plan for product recovery and closing the loop
• Material Reutilization score >=65
• Use renewable energy for 50% of manufacturing (final assembly)
• Complete an audit to characterize and quantify water use
• Complete an audit of corporate social responsibility practices

General Description of Certification Levels: PLATINUM
• All requirements met at BASIC, SILVER & GOLD levels
• Actively recovering products and closing the loop
• Material Reutilization score >=80
• Use renewable energy for 100% of manufacturing (final assembly) and 50% of supply chain manufacturing
• Implemented innovative measures to improve water conservation and water quality
• Complete a third party social responsibility certification

Source: MBDC

7 Reacties »

7 Reacties

Erik van Erne zegt:

14 september 2010 om 06:44 | Permalink

Cradle to Cradle Green Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) to Work With Shanghai Yangpu District Government

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger participated in a one-on-one conversation with Bay Area Council President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Wunderman at the Century of the Pacific Breakfast hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and the Bay Area Council. Afterwards he witnessed the signing of four Memorandums of Understanding ( MOUs ) to increase collaboration among Chinese and California businesses, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and spur venture capital and investment growth. Spearheaded by the Bay Area Council, these agreements will play an integral role in increasing California’s presence in China, specifically Shanghai – increasing bilateral investment as well as California’s access to Chinese markets. All of which will help create jobs for Californians and increase revenues for the state.

“These MOUs signal doors opening to a dynamic cross-Pacific collaboration between Shanghai and California. Thanks to the great work of the Bay Area Council, California companies will soon be working closer with Chinese companies and new frontiers in technology exchange and venture capital investment will be realized,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Because of these forward-thinking agreements, more California companies will sell their products and services to China for the first time – increasing export and job opportunities for California.”

The Bay Area Council signed an MOU with the Private Equity Association of Shanghai to cultivate Shanghai’s venture capital market. As a leader in new business formation, technology and finance, as well as having well-developed transportation, communication and educational systems, Shanghai has all the raw ingredients to build a thriving venture capital market. This MOU enables members of the Council to share their experience and expertise in venture capital as Shanghai enters into a new economic era. Cultivating a venture capital market doesn’t just help small businesses grow; it allows good ideas to become reality and new innovations and technology to take hold.

“Our companies on this mission, whose combined revenue is more than $179 billion a year, and our Chinese partners share a strong interest in building an innovation economy in China, and generating big trade between California and China,” said Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council. “That is why we are here. Our vision is to build what we call a Century of the Pacific, where global trade is dominated by China and California. It is a difficult mission, but days like today help quite a bit.”

The US-China Cultural Association and the China-Shanghai International Business Partnership Organization also signed an MOU to build channels for U.S. and Chinese business deals to flow, especially in tourism, wine and agriculture. Increasing understanding between cultures is vital to increasing collaboration and improving communication between China and the United States.

Cradle to Cradle Green Products Innovation Institute, a non-profit organization based in California, and Shanghai Yangpu District Government signed an MOU to work together to promote an innovation-oriented model for eliminating toxic chemicals and other negative environmental impacts in products. This agreement will help improve the safety of products and the health of people.

The Shanghai Environment & Energy Exchange, a Chinese entity backed by the Shanghai Municipal Government, and Pacific Carbon Exchange, headquartered in the Bay Area also signed an MOU. The agreement establishes a business relationship that will promote China/U.S. technology partnerships in green technologies and environmental markets with the goal of mitigating climate change. The two parties will share information to ultimately create a bilateral market for Certified Emissions Reductions between the U.S. and China markets, as well as globally.

China is the second largest economy in the world and is California’s fourth largest trading partner. Shanghai in particular is an important economic and financial center. It is the most populous city in the People’s Republic of China and is a major gateway to China from the Western coast of the Pacific. Shanghai’s $218 billion economy makes it a critical hub for multi-national corporations, and as China’s major commercial and financial center, is rapidly becoming a center of the global innovation economy – making strengthening ties with the Shanghai government and businesses particularly important to California’s economy. The MOUs signed today represent a vital roadmap to continued collaboration with China. Source: Media Newswire
Erik van Erne zegt:

3 oktober 2010 om 05:31 | Permalink

Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) Pledges to Train 100 Assessors and Certify 1,000 Products by 2015

The nation’s first nonprofit dedicated to using the Cradle to Cradle approach to certify products unveiled its new name, along with a major commitment, at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York. The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (the Institute), formerly called the Green Products Innovation Institute, announced today at CGI that it will train at least 100 assessors and certify 1,000 products by 2015 in an effort to jumpstart a market for green chemistry that will protect the environment and human health while growing the economy.

Using the Cradle to Cradle certification protocol, the Institute is dedicated to developing comprehensive metrics and standards for every day products that are safe and healthy for our environment and our children. Products that meet the criteria will receive the Cradle to Cradle certification mark, which has been gifted to the Institute along with the protocols by co-founders William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart. The Institute’s chief funder is the DOEN Foundation, which was established in 1991 by the Dutch Postcode Lottery to generate funds for charity organizations dedicated to people and the planet.

“The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is proud to make such a vital pledge to bring safe and healthy products to citizens across the globe,” said Bridgett Luther, President of the Institute. “With the support of governments, industry, academia and non-governmental organizations, we can turn the Cradle to Cradle certification into a worldwide standard in developing safe and sustainable consumer products.” Several of the nation’s leading manufacturers joined the Institute in making pledges at the Clinton Global Initiative. Shaw Industries, Inc., part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, is also leading the way in developing sustainable carpet products. Currently, 15 percent of Shaw’s products are ‘wholly’ Cradle to Cradle certified and 62 percent of its product line is partially certified. Today, Shaw announced its commitment to moving toward increasing the number of ‘wholly’ Cradle to Cradle certified products by 2015 so more of its product line will be safer for human and environmental health. “Over 50 percent of our commercial products are now cradle to cradle certified, but we are not stopping there,” said Vance Bell, CEO of Shaw. “We plan to increase that percentage over the next several years as we work closely with the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.”

Steelcase, the world’s largest office furniture manufacturer, which represents nearly $3 billion in sales and over 13,000 employees, is the largest holder of Cradle to Cradle product certifications globally. They have achieved over 50 Cradle to Cradle product certifications covering 78 product lines. Today the company announced its first seating product for the education sector, “node,” will also be certified under the Cradle to Cradle protocol. “For years, the foundation of our design for the environment process has been avoiding and eliminating toxic materials in our products and contributing to clean indoor air - for workers in offices, and even healthcare environments,” said Angela Nahikian, Director, Global Environment Sustainability. “So it’s natural for Steelcase to stand side by side with the Clinton Global Initiative and Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute to announce this commitment today. Introducing node for the education market, and its pending Cradle to Cradle certification, is very exciting. It demonstrates our belief that advancing human and environmental health is an integral part of creating great working and learning experiences.”

In addition to announcing these major social and environmental commitments at the Clinton Global Initiative, the Institute also welcomes some significant additions to its leadership team. Bridgett Luther, former director of the California Department of Conservation, has joined the Institute full time as president. John Warner, PhD., President of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry and former Chair of the Science Advisory Panel of California’s Green Chemistry Initiative, has also joined the Institute’s team as a key science advisor. “Green Chemistry is a molecular science that can create technologies to produce more Cradle to Cradle products,” said Warner. “I look forward to working with the Institute to bring the certification to the world.” The Institute’s creation is supported by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who just last week witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Institute and the Shanghai Yangpu District Government during his trade mission to Asia. The MOU solidified Shanghai’s commitment to working with the Institute to promote an innovationoriented model for eliminating toxic chemicals and other negative environmental impacts in hopes of fostering a model for a sustainable business and a sustainable economy. Source: Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute
Erik van Erne zegt:

26 oktober 2010 om 11:51 | Permalink

C2CPII: An Introduction to William McDonough and Cradle to Cradle

McDonough is co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things with Dr. Michael Braungart, co-founder of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), and founder of William McDonough Partner
Erik van Erne zegt:

25 november 2010 om 08:34 | Permalink

Interview with Bridgett Luther, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) at GGCS3 by Hub Culture

Bridgett Luther, the President of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute discusses how her organization is trying to change the world, one product at a time. Interviewed by Hub Culture’s Stan Stalnaker at the GGCS3 at UC Davis.
Erik van Erne zegt:

29 december 2010 om 00:47 | Permalink

Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) Accepts Generous Donation from the Dawood Foundation

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute received a $100,000 donation from The Dawood Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Dawood Group, one of the largest public charitable trusts in Pakistan. Funding will support the Institute’s efforts to be the global standard for Cradle to Cradle® certification and to create an online product registry that will be a worldwide resource for companies and consumers.

The Institute is currently funded through generous grants from the Dutch DOEN Foundation, the Schmidt Family Foundation and other foundations and individuals who are interested in promoting Cradle to Cradle product innovation. All funding promotes the Cradle to Cradle concept, which is designed to protect environmental and human health while creating a wave of business innovation and fostering a new generation of sustainable products worldwide.
Erik van Erne zegt:

5 januari 2012 om 11:40 | Permalink

PGC Green U 2011 By Beth Rattner (Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute)
Erik van Erne zegt:

15 februari 2012 om 13:32 | Permalink

Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute Receives $2.6M from the Dutch Postcode Lottery

At its Goed Geld Gala ceremony in Amsterdam on February 9, the Netherlands’ “Dutch National Postcode Lottery” awarded a grant of 2M Euros, or $2.6M, to San Francisco’s Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute in continued support for its work in guiding product designers and manufacturers in their efforts to make safer, healthier products.

Said founder William McDonough, “With this generous grant, the Dutch National Postcode Lottery has made a historic commitment towards the work of the entire Cradle to Cradle family of organizations. I am very pleased to see the Institute receive such a significant endorsement of its work certifying products that are safe and healthy for all.”

Anders Bekeken