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EcoVeil™ is a non-PVC screen cloth, with healthful
properties. Constructed in the same manner as
ThermoVeil®, a core of TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin)
fiber filaments with a TPO coating, EcoVeil™ has
similar characteristics to ThermoVeil®, plus the
added benefit of being very environmentally friendly.
- The first "Cradle to Cradle™" shade cloth
- Is more than PVC free
- Can be reclaimed and recycled
- Is durable and washable
- Is anti-microbial
- Is flame retardant
- Optimized and under continuous improvement by
MBDC, a product and process design firm founded
by William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart
- Selected by Environmental Building News as one
of the Top-10 Green Building Products of 2004
Cradle to Cradle
Traditional environmentalism perceives industry
and commerce as unsustainable and proposes to
reduce their impact by constricting their activities.
Cradle to Cradle Design is an innovative approach
to sustainability that models human industry on
the integrated process of nature’s biological
metabolism—its productive eco-systems—
by developing an equally effective technical
metabolism, in which the materials of human
industry safely and productively flow.
Using the C2C model, products like EcoVeilTM ,
are developed for closed-loop systems in which
every ingredient is safe and beneficial, either to
biodegrade naturally and restore the soil, or to be fully recycled into high-quality
materials for subsequent generations,
again and again. Utilizing biological
nutrients and technical nutrients allows
a company to eliminate the concept
of waste and recover value, rather than
creating a future solid waste problem
and relinquishing material assets in
the process of delivering a product
to a customer.
The Cradle to Cradle Design Protocol
To assist companies in (re)designing eco-effective
products, MBDC uses the Cradle to Cradle
Design Protocol to assess materials used in
products and production processes. The Protocol
is founded on the "Intelligent Products System"
developed by Michael Braungart and his
colleagues at EPEA.
In applying the Protocol, materials in products
are first inventoried and then evaluated according to
their characteristics within the desired application,
and placed into one of four categories (Green,
Yellow, Orange, or Red) based on human health
and environmental relevance criteria. After all
chemicals are assessed, the materials in a product
application are optimized by positively selecting
replacements for chemicals characterized as Red
and using Green chemicals as they are available.
The four categories are:
GREEN: Little or no risk. This chemical is
acceptable for use in the desired application.
YELLOW: Low to moderate risk. This chemical
is acceptable for use in the desired application
until a green alternative is found.
ORANGE: There is no indication that this is a
high risk chemical for the desired application, but
a complete assessment is not possible due to
lack of information.
RED: High risk. 'Red' chemicals (also
sometimes referred to as 'X-list' chemicals)
should be phased out as soon as possible.
'Red' chemicals include all known or suspected
carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, mutagens,
reproductive toxins, and teratogens. In addition,
chemicals that do not meet other human health
or environmental relevance criteria are
'red' chemicals. Human health and
environmental relevance criteria used
to rank chemicals are listed below.
Human Health Criteria
- Carcinogenicity
- Teratogenicity
- Reproductive Toxicity
- Mutagenicity
- Endocrine Distruption
- Acute Toxicity
- Chronic Toxicity
- Irritation of Skin/Mucous Membranes
- Sensitization
- Carrier Function or Other Relevant Data
Environmental Relevance Criteria
- Algae Toxicity
- Bioaccumulation (log Kow)
- Climatic Relevance/Ozone Depletion Potential
- Content of Halogenated Organic Compounds (AOX)
- Daphnia Toxicity
- Fish Toxicity
- Heavy Metal Content
- Persistence/Biodegradation
- Toxicity to Soil Organisms
(Bacteria and Worms)
For more information on MBDC, go to www.mbdc.com
Click here for Ecoveil Guide (PDF)
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