The initial Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Bronze level Certification version 3.1 for the three European product ranges was attained in December 2019. Not only are these products now re-certified overall to C2C Bronze level version 3.1, but Guardian Glass is also one of the first float glass companies to meet some of the more stringent requirements of C2C Bronze level version 4.0. The three product ranges achieved at least a C2C Bronze level version 4.0 in three out of five performance categories (Material Health, Product Circularity and Water & Soil Stewardship). For Guardian float glass manufactured in Europe, C2C Gold level version 4.0 was achieved in the Material Health category.
Cradle to Cradle Certified® is a global standard for products that are considered safe, circular and responsibly made. For more than a decade, Cradle to Cradle Certified has been helping companies to innovate and optimize materials and products according to advanced science-based measures. The standard encourages continuous improvement over time by awarding certification on the basis of ascending levels of achievement. Each certification level (Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum) represents increasingly rigorous achievement across five categories of performance:
- Material Health
- Product Circularity
- Renewable Energy & Carbon Management
- Social Fairness
- Water & Soil Stewardship
Benefits of building with C2C products
The Cradle to Cradle Building Charter encourages architects and designers to create, from the very beginning of the project, environmentally responsible buildings and have a positive impact on the communities where they are built. A growing number of brands, organizations and building sustainability standards such as LEED, BREEAM and WELL recognize the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Product Standard as a preferred product designation for making more responsible purchasing decisions.
Jonathan Brunette, ESG & Certification Manager at Guardian Industries, comments: "This is a great achievement by Guardian Glass teams. We are particularly pleased to attain Bronze level version 4.0 in three performance categories for our European float, coated and laminated glass products. Compared to version 3.1, version 4.0 features new enhanced requirements, including new frameworks for Product Circularity, expanded requirements in Water and Soil Stewardship and improved alignment of Material Health requirements with leading chemical regulations and other standards. The re-certification demonstrates Guardian Glass’ commitment and investment in continuous improvement of its processes, producing more sustainable glass products for the European market."
For more information, visit www.guardianglass.com/cradle-to-cradle