The biopolymer component of InPro’s revolutionary G2 Blend formula has just become Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM Silver from Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) has licensed the certification mark along with the Cradle to Cradle protocols to the Institute, which is responsible for certifying products.
NatureWorks’ Ingeo biopolymer, made from plants, not oil, is the first product of its kind to become Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver. InPro combines Ingeo with Eastman Chemical’s PETG, which also holds a C2C Silver certificate. InPro’s formula also contains recycled content. All three components give G2 Blend significant impact resistance for its interior protection products.
“With G2 Blend, we wanted to completely revolutionize interior protection products, and we were the first to step beyond traditional polymers,” said Mark Alan, senior vice president of product management and development at InPro. “We had toyed with plain PETG for six years, but it didn’t live up to our performance expectations. We abandoned it because it was just too brittle, especially in field fabrication.
“By combining Ingeo, PETG and some recycled content, we arrived at a much-more-durable formula,” Alan said. He went on to say InPro’s G2 Blend biopolymer products continue to rack up impressive sales numbers. “We keep having to move the sales target for the biopolymer products because the market is buying well ahead of our projections. I’ll gladly do that math.”
Like NatureWorks and Eastman Chemical, InPro is staying in the lab, and pushing R&D to reach beyond past-generation plastics. “The market wants to know we’re doing our part to take material science to the next level, and then the one beyond that,” Alan said. “R&D can often take us out into unexplored territory, but that’s what innovation is all about.” +
Related Stories
| Dec 6, 2014
Future workplace designs shouldn’t need to favor one generation over another, says CBRE report
A new CBRE survey finds that what Millennials expect and need from offices doesn’t vary drastically from tenured employees.
| Dec 5, 2014
Plotting on the go: 3D-printed mechanical compass can print CAD drawings with high precision
Design student Ken Nakagaki has adapted a device to work with CAD software to replicate digital files on paper.
Sponsored | | Dec 5, 2014
New construction outlook report projects growth in 2015
A new 2015 construction outlook report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2015 will rise 9% to $612 billion. SPONSORED CONTENT
Sponsored | | Dec 5, 2014
Best practices for force transfer around openings
As wood-frame construction is continuously evolving, designers in many parts of the U.S. are optimizing design solutions that require the understanding of force transfer between elements in the lateral load-resisting system.
| Dec 4, 2014
World’s largest eco-resort to open soon in Indonesia
Just under 10 miles away from Singapore, Funtasy Island (yes, that's the real name) is a resort tucked away in the mangrove islands of the Riau archipelago.
| Dec 4, 2014
£175 million 'Garden Bridge' gets the green light to cross the Thames
Westminster Council has approved a £175 million 'Garden Bridge' that will allow pedestrian traffic only. There has been some controversy about this bridge, which is expected to attract seven million visitors annually.
Sponsored | | Dec 3, 2014
Modular Space Showcase: Bringing work-life balance to energy workers in the Bakken region
To meet the demands of the booming energy business, Williston needs to provide homes, recreation centers, restaurants, hotels, and other support facilities for the tidal wave of energy workers relocating to the Bakken Shale area. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Dec 3, 2014
U.S., Canada, and Mexico finalize agreement to recognize architect credentials
The agreement represents over a decade of negotiations, bringing cross-border recognition of professional credentials from concept to reality in the spirit of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
| Dec 3, 2014
35 cities added to Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities Challenge
Chicago, Dallas, and Pittsburgh are among the U.S. cities to join the 100 Resilient Cities Challenge, pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation.
| Dec 2, 2014
First existing multifamily buildings to earn Energy Star certification unveiled
River City in Chicago is one of 17 existing multifamily properties to earn Energy Star certification, which became available to this sector on Sept. 16 via a scoring system for multifamily properties that Energy Star and Fannie Mae had been developing for three years.