CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., May 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Organizations are increasingly turning to the Cradle to Cradle(SM) eco-label from MBDC as a way to identify products as legitimately 'green' for third party review from a respected source. On May 1, 2007, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced Cradle to Cradle(SM) Certification as an approved tool to help architects and designers select building and interior products for their human health, environmental and life cycle attributes. Cradle to Cradle Certification is now included within USGBC's LEED(R) Green Building Rating System(TM) and eligible for earning "Innovation in Design" points (http://www.usgbc.org/News/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?ID=3118).

Tom Hicks, Vice President of LEED, said that Cradle to Cradle Certification "is in harmony with our guiding principle of reconciling human activities with nature, and cuts a trail for exciting new directions in LEED to address the impacts of materials in the building industry in a much more sophisticated scientific manner." William McDonough, Co-founder of MBDC, remarked, "We are delighted and honored the USGBC now recognizes MBDC's Cradle to Cradle Certification program for LEED innovation credits. This helps expand the environmental focus to what's being used, reused or recycled and not just on the amount of recycled content."

Products newly certified by MBDC include the following:

  Gold Award
  -- EcoScreen(TM) (perforated screenwall panels): CENTRIA [Contact:
     Julie L. Pawuk, tel. 412-299-8146]

  Silver Award
  -- 180 Walls(TM) (commercial wall covering): Milliken & Company
     [Contact: Anca Maga, tel. 864-503-2823]
  -- Premium Whiteboards, Visual Communications Boards (various), and e3
     Environmental Ceramicsteel(TM) Surface: PolyVision Corporation
     [Contact: Elizabeth Davis, tel. 678-542-3116]
  -- Sanitized T96-21 and Sanitized TH22-27 (fabric coatings):
     Sanitized(R)[Contact: Daria Church, tel. 704-331-7715]
  -- Answer(R) Workstation and Move(TM) Chair: Steelcase [Contact:
     Jeanine Holquist, tel. 616-698-3765]

About MBDC

MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry) is a consultancy founded in 1995 by the world-renowned architect William McDonough and innovative chemist Dr. Michael Braungart to reorient the design of products, processes and systems to provide environmental, societal and financial benefits. MBDC and its co-founders developed and are implementing the innovative Cradle to CradleSM paradigm, a unique vision and leadership strategy for industry to realize practical, profitable ecologically-intelligent product design and expand the definition of quality. For more information on MBDC and Cradle to CradleSM Certification, please visit http://www.mbdc.com/ and http://www.c2ccertified.com/.

Contact: Steve Bolton, Manager of Business Development, MBDC

Phone: 434-295-0204 x228 Fax: 434-295-1500 Email: steve@mbdc.com

Source: MBDC

CONTACT: Steve Bolton, Manager of Business Development of MBDC,
+1-434-295-0204 x228, steve@mbdc.com

Web site: http://www.mcdonough.com/
http://www.mbdc.com/
http://www.c2ccertified.com/