“Being the first light pole manufacturer worldwide to achieve this certification confirms our leading position in the market and fits excellent in our strategy to be a recognized supplier of environmentally sustainable products in the market of public lighting”,  says Leopold Moormann, Managing Director of Sapa Pole Products. “This is a reward for two years of hard work and effort in design, product development and process improvements by a team of enthusiastic multi- skilled people across all organizational
disciplines”.

The Cradle to Cradle concept is a new approach to sustainable design. The central idea of the Cradle to Cradle philosophy is that all materials of the different product components after their life in one product can be used in another product without any loss of quality. This cycle is  expressed by the motto: Waste equals food.
To be Cradle to CradleCM Certified, a company has to use environmentally safe and healthy materials, to design products for material reutilization by end of life, to comply with guidelines regarding the use of water and renewable energy and to implement strategies for social responsibility. At the moment that all these requirements are fulfilled, the hallmark for Cradle to Cradle can be obtained. The certificate is valid for one year and will be renewed on a yearly basis.

Sapa Pole Products has entered into a partnership with EPEA to guide the certification process. EPEA (the Environmental Protection and Encouragement Agency) was founded in 1987 by Professor Dr. Michael Braungart in 1987. EPEA is an international  scientific institute with a consulting perspective that implements the Cradle to Cradle concept through eco-effective design of materials, products and services. 
Around the world currently close to 200 companies across different industries have succeeded to achieve a Cradle to Cradle certification. Among these are companies like: Alcoa, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Hermann Miller and United States Postal Service. As more and more companies recognize the importance of the C2C philosophy, this number is continuously growing.