Desso's Commercial and Consumer Carpets First Products to be Cradle to Cradle Certified[CM] Version 3.0

WAALWIJK, The Netherlands, April 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Desso, the European carpet and sports pitches company reached a new milestone as its commercial and consumer carpet products became the first in the world to be certified under Version 3.0 of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. A substantial part of Desso's commercial carpet tile range as well as commercial and consumer broadloom carpets have achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze.

The US-based Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) is a non-profit organisation established to serve as an independent assessment, auditing and certification authority for Cradle to Cradle product certification.

The Institute works with leaders from the academic world, the NGO environmental community, government and industry to implement its standard for assessing and continuously improving products based upon five categories:

1. Material health
2. Material reutilisation
3. Renewable energy and carbon management
4. Water stewardship
5. Social fairness.

With the aim of continuing to improve human health, resource scarcity and the climate, the Institute developed a new version of its Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard that takes the discipline to the next level. Companies currently certified under Version 2.1.1 must start to make the transition to the more advanced 3.0 version, launched in January 2013.

In Version 3.0 of the standard, a new Bronze level has been added to create a more logical progression for product optimization. This means that there are now 5 certification levels awarded to products: Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

At the Basic level of the new standard, a product is just starting out on the path to optimisation and a basic inventory of materials, energy use, water use, and social fairness issues is established. At the new Bronze level, product assessment goes deeper. At least 75% of the materials in a product are assessed for chemical safety and potential biodegradability and recyclability. In addition, Desso has met requirements for developing a strategy with respect to renewable energy use and carbon management, and has completed a facility-wide water audit and a full social responsibility self-audit.

"We are pleased to be first company to be awarded certification under Version 3.0, which will continue to help us create products that contribute to people's health and wellbeing and are positive to the environment," says Alexander Collot d'Escury, CEO of Desso.

The official certificates were handed over by Roy Vercoulen, Vice President Europe of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, to d'Escury and his team.

"At the Products Innovation Institute, we are delighted to see Desso, one of the first movers with Certified Cradle to Cradle products, make the transition to the latest version of the standard. We value Desso's commitment to make products that are positive to human health and the environment," says Bridgett Luther, President of the Institute.

NOTES

More information on the new C2C Version 3.0 can be found online at:

http://www.c2ccertified.org/product_certification/introducing_version_3

Website: http://www.desso.com