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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