BELGIUM – Unilin Panels is fully committed to operating as a sustainable business and actively participating in a circular economy.

The company is already on a journey towards adopting Cradle to Cradle (C2C) principles and methodologies. This commitment allows specifiers and producers to have confidence in the company’s strong environmental stance. Unilin Panels recognizes that in order to maintain its Cradle to Cradle Certified status – which ranges from Bronze to Platinum – it must continuously advance, resulting in a business that is increasingly sustainable.

Marre Porré, R&D Sustainability Engineer at Unilin Panels, highlights the significance of Cradle to Cradle Certified® as a robust framework for becoming a sustainable business and a positive contributor to a circular and responsible economy. This framework aligns seamlessly with the company’s own objectives, known as “One Home,” and presents a challenge to improve every aspect of their products and operations. The Cradle to Cradle Certified label is built on a strategy of reducing, reusing, and recycling, emphasizing a fully circular approach to product development instead of downcycling.

Porré further underscores the advantage of the Cradle to Cradle Certified framework, which encourages continuous progress, moving from Bronze to Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels. This process resembles a race, where achieving higher certification levels requires significant efforts. The time-limited nature of the framework compels businesses to keep moving forward and make strategic decisions essential to achieving true sustainability.

Cradle to Cradle Certified encompasses all facets of a business, including product materials and circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. However, it commences with Material Health. Unilin Panels is taking the initial step toward Cradle to Cradle Certification by obtaining Material Health Certificates for its products. Currently, the company is in the process of obtaining the Bronze Version 4.0 Material Health Certificate for melamine-faced fibreboard and chipboard panels. Unilin Panels has set a goal to advance these products to the Silver level within six years, and they are actively working towards achieving this milestone.