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
| Feb 12, 2013
OMA's 'perimeter core' design wins competition for Essence Financial Building in Shenzhen
OMA partners David Gianotten and Rem Koolhaas rethink traditional office tower design with a plan that shifts the building's core to the edge for large, unobstructed plans.
| Feb 11, 2013
AIA elevates 122 members and seven international architects to the College of Fellows
The 2013 Jury of Fellows from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) elevated 122 AIA members to its prestigious College of Fellows, an honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the profession. The 2013 Fellows will be honored at an investiture ceremony at the 2013 National AIA Convention and Design Exposition in Denver.
| Feb 8, 2013
5 factors to consider when designing a shade system
Designing a shade system is more complex than picking out basic white venetian blinds. Here are five elements to consider when designing an interior shade system.
| Feb 8, 2013
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s new wing voted Boston’s 'most beautiful new building'
Bostonians voted the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's new wing the People's Choice Award winner for 2012, honoring the project as the city's "most beautiful new building" for the calendar year. The new wing, designed by Renzo Piano and Stantec, beat out three other projects on the short list.
| Feb 6, 2013
Arcadia (Calif.) High School opens $20 million performing arts center
A 60-year old wish for the community of Arcadia has finally come true with the opening of Arcadia Unified School District’s new $20 million Performing Arts Center.
| Feb 6, 2013
CSI: Revitalizing the brand to achieve the mission
CSI is revitalizing its brand as part of its continued pursuit of its mission: improving facility performance through better communication in the commercial-level construction industry.
| Feb 5, 2013
8 eye-popping wood building projects
From 100-foot roof spans to novel reclaimed wood installations, the winners of the 2013 National Wood Design Awards push the envelope in wood design.
| Feb 3, 2013
Electronic surveying improves accuracy on BIM-driven hospital project
A mechanical contractor combines an electronic surveying tool with a BIM model to make significant productivity gains in a large-scale hospital project.
