New EHS Transparency Tool Based on Cradle to Cradle Program

The new tool, which draws on aspects of the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) standard, aims to give designers and specifiers a clear view into product ingredients and other environmental attributes; it will also track the C2C product optimization process, according to Diane Martel, vice president of environmental planning and strategy at Tarkett. The company plans to produce an EHS for each of its products in 2014, although it has not yet decided whether to publish them on its website. (The company has shared a sample with EBN for publication.)

EPEA, founded by chemist and original C2C co-developer Michael Braungart, Ph.D., told EBN that more of its client companies would be using the EHS soon. (EPEA helps companies evaluate and optimize their products according to the C2C framework, but Braungart is no longer directly involved with the development of the standard, which is now managed by a third-party nonprofit group, the C2C Product Innovation Institute.)