AGC earns Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze for insulating glass products

AGC Glass Europe continues to demonstrate its commitment to constantly improving the environmental performance of its products.

As the world's first and only glassmaker to have successfully obtained Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze for its insulating glass products Thermobel and iplus/ipsaol, AGC now offers the broadest portfolio of certified products at Silver and Bronze level.

The Thermobel and iplus/ipasol ranges clearly showcase AGC's expertise in producing insulating glass products. Today, such products are increasingly specified and used in homes and commercial buildings. Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM Bronze certification for these two ranges is a logical extension of AGC's sustainable, environmental vision.

The “Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM Products Program” evaluates a product's sustainability across its entire lifecycle. To obtain certification, the product must meet stringent criteria in five categories pertaining to health and environmental protection. The total score obtained for AGC’s Thermobel and iplus/ipasol ranges was Bronze, but reached Silver in two categories, Material Reutilisation and Water Stewardship, and Gold in Social Responsibility.

By opting for Thermobel or iplus/ipasol Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM Bronze glazings, architects and specifiers can guarantee the sustainability of their projects and earn higher ratings in environmental certification programmes for buildings, such as LEED.

Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM certification for an insulating glass product involves many more stakeholders than other glass products because it is not just the glass that is certified, but all the components that go into its assembly into double or triple glazing, such as interlayers, adhesives, etc. AGC is the first glassmaker to have undergone this process, which includes dozens of suppliers and 40 AGC plants active in the manufacturing process.

Each supplier was asked to detail the chemical composition of the materials used in Thermobel and iplus/ipasol insulating glass products, thus guaranteeing the sustainability of the finished product as required under the certification process of the “Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM Product Program."