GPII plans to push C2C

GPII would award Cradle to Cradle certification.

A nonprofit recently established in California could help the state get closer to its goal of eliminating toxic substances in products and manufacturing.

The San Francisco-based Green Products Innovation Institute (GPII), a new consultancy established to certify Cradle to Cradle (C2C) products in the state of California, launched in May at Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) Mountain View headquarters. The event was attended by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who in 2008 passed a landmark initiative that aims to eliminate toxic substances in products sold and and manufactured in California, giving state agencies increased authority to track and regulate chemicals.

Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification, developed by Virginia-based McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, focuses on using safe materials that can be disassembled and recycled or composted. C2C ratings are based on five categories: appropriately sourced materials; material reutilization; renewable energy; release of clean water; and social responsibility

GPII is now armed with the C2C protocols and will audit and certify C2C products moving forward. The institute says it plans to partner with the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control to develop assessment criteria for consumer products, and to identify “chemicals of concern” and viable replacements. Its findings would help businesses stay ahead of regulation, giving them an anticipatory framework to design and redesign products to meet future standards, says GPII executive director Beth Rattner.

GPII also plans build a network of trained and certified assessors, to be called Licensed Assessment Partners, in a model similar to the U.S Green Building Council’s LEED Professional credentials, Rattner says.

For now, GPII is funded by private donations, though Rattner says the business plan is for it to eventually be funded by training and certification revenues. The institute may eventually move beyond California, as well, as one of its goals is to become a model for the way for other states evaluate products, according to Rattner.