
Alcoa Helps Launch Green Products Innovation
Institute Founded on Cradle-to-Cradle Principles
May 24, 2010
Alcoa, an adopter of Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) certification for its
Kawneer architectural aluminum products, joined in the launch of
the Green Products Innovation Institute (GPII) last week at Google's
campus in Mountain View, Calif. The GPII is a nonprofit organization
founded on the C2C program and principles defined by architect William
McDonough and chemist Dr. Michael Braungart. California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered the opening remarks at the inauguration
of the Institute, which will be based in San Francisco.
The event marked the establishment of a new organization devoted
to the C2C framework. McDonough, Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC),
a consultancy organization, created a design paradigm in 2005 in
which materials are perpetually circulated in closed loops, which
maximizes material values without damaging the ecosystem. Alcoa's
Kawneer business grasped the environmentally-intelligent design
concept for several of its architectural aluminum building products
and was on hand at the event to support the launch of the new Institute.
"Sustainability is at the heart of Kawneer's product line,
which is made up of aluminum, one of the earth's most recyclable
metals. C2C provides an important framework for selecting materials
that are environmentally responsible. Several Kawneer products that
are C2C certified are manufactured at our Visalia, California, plant
using a renewable energy source - solar power," said Eddie
Bugg, Director, Sustainable Solutions for Kawneer.
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