In a search for the best green building products made from recycled or sustainable materials, The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, together with Make It Right, challenged green designers and manufacturers from around the world, to enter the battle and find the most innovative green product that can transform traditional housing into a better, more healthy and much more sustainable one. Ten teams made it to the finals, but only three (well, four) could share the prize. Here are the winners.
The Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Challenge was launched in November 2012, and after a long screening process by an international jury team, the winners, who share the $250,000 prize, were finally announced earlier this week.
More than 140 applicants battled it out in front of green building experts and toxicologists, showcasing alternative building materials including insulation, paint, drywall, roofing and construction panels. The top three innovations received a generous share of the cash prize, with 1st place receiving $125,000, 2nd winning $75,000 and 3rd getting $50,000, although two teams shared the third place receiving equal scores. So, it is time to find out who the winners are and what their products are.
Finished in third place were ECOR, with their sustainable building panels and ROMA, with their mineral paints. The ECOR’s panels are made from waste cellulose fiber, they are lightweight, extremely easy to assemble, cheap and green. Roma’s mineral paints are also made from natural products, they prevent bacteria and mold from developing, absorb CO2 and are washable and completely free of toxins.
Second place went for the Ecovative Mushroom Insulation. Made from fungal mycelieum and various other agricultural bi-products, this completely natural insulation material is the most perfect green alternative, which is toxin-free and extremely safe to use.
And the winner is: bioMASON’s biobrick. Available at almost the same price and having the same quality as conventional bricks, this product is a true green innovation. The biobricks are made of 100% recycled materials in a process that takes less than 5 days, thanks to bacteria, which produce natural cement.
Congratulations to all the winners. Let’s hope Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute makes the challenge an annual event so all of us can get inspired by more and more green innovations.
