Vanderlande Industries has received Cradle to Cradle, certification silver, for its sustainable Blueveyor, which is made of non-toxic, recyclable materials that can easily be disassembled and re-used.
Cradle to Cradle is an independent environmental certification process for materials and products that assesses the total impact of a product on human health and the environment. The announcement was made at the International Cradle to Cradle Conference that was held May 24 and 25 in San Francisco, USA.
Vanderlande Industries is the first material handling company to receive Cradle to Cradle certification from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, a non-profit organization that was formed by William McDonough and Dr Michael Braungart to administer and manage the Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM programme.
"By using a recyclable polyester belt instead of PVC we have eliminated one of the main environmental threats posed by conventional baggage systems. Due to the excellent combination of mechanical design and control technology, the Blueveyor is also lighter in weight and reduces the energy consumption significantly," said Gert Bossink, director Research and Development of Vanderlande Industries.
"The Blueveyor goes far beyond Cradle to Cradle; it is more about innovation and quality. This new product of Vanderlande sets the standard for the whole industry," said Michael Braungart.
A matter of innovation
Vanderlande Industries is on an exciting journey finding the best imaginable balance between people, planet and entrepreneurship. The Cradle to Cradle Certification is an important step on our journey to design and create products that contribute only positive waste and eliminate toxic or harmful materials whenever possible," said Michiel Peters, President and CEO of Vanderlande Industries.
"Through this certification, we can assure our customers that when they buy our Blueveyor, they are making a smart environmental choice."
Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM is a multi-attribute programme that assesses products for safety to human and environmental health, design for future use cycles and eco-effective manufacturing processes. The programme provides guidelines to help businesses implement the Cradle to Cradle framework, which focuses on using safe materials that can be recovered and re-uses as technical nutrients in new products or composted as biological nutrients.