Black Bear debuts “cradle to cradle certified carbon black”

Black Bear’s carbon black has received an official Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze Certificate, assessed by the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA). This is the first time that a carbon black has received this certification.

“This certification is a clear demonstration of our commitment to accelerating the transition towards a circular economy. We are pleased that we can now offer carbon black users a real and officially certified choice for selecting clean and green materials” said Martijn Lopes Cardozo, CEO Black Bear.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program is an independent, third-party verified certification program that certifies products and materials that are developed to respect human and environmental health, designed for future use cycles, and that utilize clean energy and water throughout the supply chain. Certified products are required to show continuous improvement every two years.

One of the interesting findings of the certification activities was a reconfirmation that Black Bear’s carbon black has extremely low levels of harmful PAH’s. A low level of PAH’s is increasingly becoming important given health considerations and increased REACH regulation.

Michael Braungart, founder and CEO of EPEA and co-author of the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, praised the product, saying:

“The Black Bear Carbon upcycled product is a game-changer in the field of carbon black. It is “upcycled” because the output material is of higher quality than the input material (furnace black in car tyres). Its extremely low content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) means that it is of such good quality that I am happy to recommend its use in all kinds of applications, including those involving a lot of skin contact, such as bicycle handlebars, stroller handles, wheelchairs, and of course, in car and bike tyres, where abrasion and inhalation of carcinogenic PAH-containing particles can be hazardous. The use of a high-quality product like Black Bear’s carbon black has the potential to positively impact on the health and wellbeing of many people, and it is therefore a beneficial Cradle to Cradle product.”