Litco's Inca presswood pallets are first in category to receive Cradle to Cradle(SM) certification

Oct 24, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. Litco International, Inc., manufacturer of presswood pallets, core plugs and boards, recently received Cradle to Cradle(SM) Certification from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), for their ingredients, recyclability and design principles, Marketwire reported. Litco's Inca brand presswood pallets are the first pallets worldwide to achieve this honor. MBDC's Cradle to Cradle Certification is awarded to products based on specific criteria for human health, environmental health, manufacturing characteristics, and life cycle attributes. To earn the certification, products must be evaluated for their ingredient chemistry, designed for reuse through recycling or composting, and moving toward manufacture using renewable energy and energy- and water-efficient methods. "The company is demonstrating leadership in integrating recycled content into products, working to design eco-intelligent products, and charting a path for the future," said Ken Alston, CEO of MBDC. Inca pallets are made from waste wood and are completely reusable and recyclable as well as being free of bugs, bark and mold. This makes the wooden export pallets ISPM-15 compliant and trouble-free for export anywhere in the world. Innovative design features include construction that is 60 percent lighter than conventional hardwood pallets and a space-saving nestable configuration that saves space in shipping and warehousing. "Sustainability has been a driving force behind the design and construction of our Inca products, and we are thrilled that the Inca is the first pallet to be honored with MBDC's Cradle to Cradle Certification," said Gary Sharon, vice president of Litco International. "The certification is another way we can convey our commitment to the environment to our customers and is reward for all of the effort that went into the green design of our product." McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry is a product and process design firm dedicated to revolutionizing the design of products and services worldwide and furthering the notion of "environmentally preferable products" as outlined by the U.S. government. Cradle to Cradle(SM) is a service mark of MBDC. Litco International Inc., based in Vienna, Ohio, is North America's leading source of presswood pallets and other shipping products, including separator boards, core plugs, dunnage air bags and void fill. Litco ships worldwide from facilities in Ohio, South Carolina and Mississippi.