Intertape Polymer Group Inc. Celebrates Sustainable Product Design and Innovation Milestone, Unveiling Several New Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Family Certifications

SARASOTA, Fla., Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (IPG), a leading manufacturer of tapes, films and protective packaging, announced today it has expanded the number of products achieving Cradle to Cradle Certified® to twelve, ranging from Bronze to Gold, as part of the company's comprehensive circularity commitment. The Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard is one of the world's most trusted science-based frameworks for designing and manufacturing safer and more circular products, and with these recent additions, IPG furthers its commitment by holding the most Cradle to Cradle Certified certifications within the packaging industry.

To achieve Cradle to Cradle Certified, each product was assessed across five categories of sustainability performance, in accordance with the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard. These include: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship, and social responsibility. Unlike many of the single attribute certifications available, Cradle to Cradle Certified is a multi-attribute measure that assesses all aspects of product design and manufacturing, signaling a company has taken the extra steps to uphold the highest standard for sustainability.

IPG's approach to product performance balances innovation, material health, and regulatory requirements, as well as Cradle to Cradle principles. The company considers customers' needs based on their associated end market. To earn certifications from the independent and nonprofit Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, IPG worked closely with raw material suppliers to assess new and existing products for material health. This assessment involved an in-depth evaluation including an inventory of all material components, to identify improvement opportunities.

"Redesigning products is not an easy undertaking, but understanding what needs to change is the first step. Finding alternative materials can be time-consuming and difficult," said Jay Bolus, VP of Sustainability for IPG. "We looked at the key areas where IPG could make a positive environmental impact, to better align with the circular economy. Our current processes and products have been developed over decades, and will not transition overnight. We are committed to action that accelerates our sustainable transformation and proud to share our progress."

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute awards certifications on the basis of ascending achievement levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) based upon a product's performance in each of the five certification categories. The lowest score in any quality category establishes the product's overall score. Certified products are required to show continuous improvement every two years.

Certified products include:

* Curby Mailer™ - (C2C Certified® SILVER)
* Curby® Cushioning Solutions - (C2C Certified® SILVER)
* Water Activated Tape - (C2C Certified® BRONZE)
* PaperSpace X-Fill™- (C2C Certified® GOLD)
* Acrylic Carton Sealing Tape - (C2C Certified® BRONZE)
* Hot Melt Carton Sealing Tape - (C2C Certified® BRONZE)
* StretchFLEX® and SuperFLEX® Stretch Film - (C2C Certified® SILVER)
* Exlfilmplus® Shrink Film - (C2C Certified® SILVER)
* Polyethylene Tape - (C2C Certified® BRONZE)
* NovaShield® Structure Membrane - (C2C Certified® BRONZE)
* Flatback Tape - (C2C Certified® BRONZE)
* Masking Tape - (C2C Certified® BRONZE)

"IPG continues to set an incredible example for how the packaging industry can move towards a safe then circular business model," said William McDonough, pioneer of the concepts of Cradle to Cradle Design™ and co-founder of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. "By using the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard as a framework, IPG is leading the packaging industry towards greater transparency, ensuring the impact of their products on people and the planet is a positive one."

Exhibiting at PACK EXPO International in Chicago, IL from October 23-26, IPG will showcase Cradle to Cradle Certified products from its Curby® line, as well the debut of many new products, at Booth #S-2814, located in the South Hall. To learn more about IPG's sustainability commitments and achievements, visit https://www.itape.com/en/sustainability.

To learn about Cradle to Cradle Certified and how to get on the path to certification, visit the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute at http://www.c2ccertified.org and MBDC at https://mbdc.com.

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. is a recognized leader in the development, manufacture and sale of a variety of paper and film based pressure-sensitive and water-activated tapes, stretch and shrink films, protective packaging, woven and non-woven products and packaging machinery for industrial and retail use. Headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, IPG employs approximately 4,200 employees with operations in 34 locations, including 22 manufacturing facilities in North America, five in Asia and two in Europe. For information about the Company, visit https://www.itape.com.

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is dedicated to powering the circular economy through products, materials, systems and business models that have a positive impact on people and planet. Through the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program, the Institute sets the global standard for products that are safe, circular and responsibly made. For more than a decade, leading brands, designers, retailers and manufacturers across the value chain have relied on the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard to innovate and optimize materials, products and systems for immediate and long-term positive impacts. Cradle to Cradle Certified has long been regarded as the world's most trusted and advanced science-based standard for designing and manufacturing products that maximize health and wellbeing for people and our planet, providing a comprehensive and holistic assessment framework across different sustainability performance categories. The Institute also powers the global shift to a circular economy through partnerships and collaborative initiatives that equip businesses, governments and other stakeholders with the technical frameworks and knowledge they need to transform the way products are designed and made. The Institute is headquartered in San Francisco and Amsterdam, NL. Cradle to Cradle Certified® is a registered trademark of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

MBDC is a firm founded in 1995 by world-renowned architect William McDonough and chemist Dr. Michael Braungart. MBDC originated the Cradle to Cradle Design™️ Framework and the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program, which ultimately formed the basis for the nonprofit Cradle to Cradle Institute that now independently administers the program. MBDC leads companies to create a world of good by assessing product designs and integrating the framework into corporate strategy, communications, operations and supply chains. Using the process of inventory, assessment and optimization, MBDC provides unique technical expertise to develop sustainable circular economy solutions around material health, material reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship and social fairness. MBDC partners with clients to provide scientific assessments and spur design innovation to create a world of good. Cradle to Cradle® is a registered trademark of MBDC, LLC.

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SOURCE Intertape Polymer Group