CSR Press Release

Certification is a key driver of sustainability, confirming that a product or practice truly enacts social and environmental responsibility, as exemplified by B Rating and Cradle-to-Cradle certification. In June 2007, B Lab, a non-profit that certifies and supports B Corporations, a new type of corporation that uses the power of business to create a public benefit incorporating the interests of employees, the community and the environment, launched its B Rating performance and legal standards for B Corp. B Lab's independent Standards Advisory Council has already overseen the certification of over 80 B Corporations in 17 states and more than 20 industries, worth $650 million.

To support this work, the Rockefeller Foundation recently awarded B Lab a significant grant as part of its Rockefeller Impact Investing Collaborative, and also introduced B Lab to UK-based Social Stock Exchange, with whom B Lab is creating the BX public stock exchange for B Corps. The idea of the B Corporation aligns with the Fourth Sector notion of "for-benefit" organizations and social entrepreneurialism supported by the Skoll Foundation and recognized by the Fast Company Social Capitalist Awards. All advocate for the transformation of the corporate structure to integrate sustainability into the core business model.

Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) Certification is another certification process that provides a company with a way to measure environmentally-intelligent design. According to Cradle-to-Cradle, this means, among other things: using environmentally safe and healthy materials, recycling, composting, using renewable energy and energy efficiency, efficient use of water, and instituting strategies for social responsibility.

When a product achieves the necessary criteria, it is certified as a Silver, Gold or Platinum product or as a Technical/Biological Nutrient (available for homogeneous materials or less complex products), and can be branded as 'Cradle to Cradle.' Len-Tex, which makes commercial wallcoverings free from PVC, heavy metals, plasticizers, and chlorine, is the latest company to earn C2C Certification pioneered by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC.) Achieving Silver tier certification allows Len-Tex's Surface iQ non-vinyl coverings to qualify for Innovation in Design credit under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED process for recognition of green building projects.

To read the latest corporate social responsibility news from CVS Caremark, Grameen Foundation, CARE, UPS and other leading socially responsible organizations, visit http://www.csrwire.com/LastAlert.html.

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