NEDERWEERT, The Netherlands – Black Bear announced that its carbon black has received an official Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Bronze Certificate, assessed by the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency. 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 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A low level of PAHs is increasingly becoming important given health considerations and increased REACH regulation.

Black Bear Carbon is a circular-economy, technology-based company. Its patented technology facilitates the harvesting of carbon black from waste tires in a way that adds up-cycled value.