MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.—Representatives from Shaw Industries Group, Inc. joined California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and William McDonough at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. recently for an event marking the launch of the Green Products Innovation Institute (GPII). The first nonprofit institute of its kind in the United States, the GPII is dedicated to transforming the way companies design and manufacture products by advancing the Cradle to Cradle framework developed by architect and designer William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart.
Speaking at the event, Shaw CEO Vance Bell said that Shaw, an early adopter of Cradle to Cradle design, was at the event as an example of an organization innovating to commercialize the Cradle to Cradle concepts. “Over ten years ago, Shaw’s EcoWorx carpet tile was the first product in the flooring industry designed according to Cradle to Cradle principles,” Bell said. “With the encouragement and assistance of Bill McDonough, our commitment to the Cradle to Cradle design philosophy has evolved to fully embrace the concepts of reverse engineering, elimination of waste, safe chemistries, and closed loop technical nutrients.”
One of the first companies in the United States to adopt the Cradle to Cradle framework, Shaw holds its place on a high-profile list of companies already demonstrating the viability and benefits of products designed and manufactured according to Cradle to Cradle principles, including Herman Miller, Steelcase, Ford Motor Co., and Aveda.
In Line with the Shaw Green Edge
“The tenets of Cradle to Cradle and the mission of the Green Products Innovation Institute align strongly with our own commitment to sustainability through innovation—the Shaw Green Edge,” Bell said. “In passing on the Cradle to Cradle certification and protocols to the GPII, William McDonough and MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry) are helping us move ever closer to a safer, healthier world by making the Cradle to Cradle framework more transparent and more globally accessible to academic institutions, research organizations, governmental and non-governmental entities and, manufacturers.”
The GPII will bring together thought leaders and practices from industry, academia, government, and communities to further advance the Cradle to Cradle philosophy said Shaw vice president of sustainability Rick Ramirez. “The GPII is truly a groundbreaking initiative in terms of its potential to influence the entire cycle of product design, manufacture and reclamation,” Ramirez said.
“California is the perfect birthplace for this Institute, but ultimately its reach is global,” said co-founder William McDonough. “Even before Michael (Braungart) and I wrote Cradle to Cradle in 2002, we wished and worked for a safer, healthier world for all children of all species. This world is not just a wish any more. It is here now, thanks to Governor Schwarzenegger, the donors and supporters of the Green Products Innovation Institute, and the people of California.”
Also supported by Brad Pitt, Robert Kennedy, Jr., Terry Tamminen and numerous others, the GPII is set up to become a resource for those who aspire to achieve new levels of environmental and human health and safety for all products sold in California and beyond. Using the Cradle to Cradle certification protocol, GPII will work with leaders from academia, the NGO environmental community, government, and industry to establish both metrics and a rating system for evaluating products. Products that meet the criteria will receive the Cradle to Cradle network certification mark.
Go to GPII.
