October 20, 2010 -- Citing "accelerated environmental commitment," General Cable (NYSE: BGC) has announced its participation in the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The company says it has joined USGBC in order to be better informed and gain tools focused on sustainability and green initiatives within the green building industry.
Concurrent with the announcement, General Cable also launched its 17 FREE line of halogen-free premise, fiber and electronics cabling solutions that may qualify for LEED credit under the USGBC.
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LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the system that certifies the greenest performing buildings in the world. General Cable notes that its 17 FREE product innovation nearly coincided with the USGBC’s announcement of its LEED Pilot Credit 2. The pilot program potentially gives credit for products geared toward reducing the release of persistent bio-accumulative toxic chemicals, or PBTs, associated with the life cycle of building materials, including electrical wiring and cable jacketing.
General Cable, who says it initially developed the 17 FREE line after receiving many requests for green products, saw the LEED pilot credit issue as a significant opportunity to capitalize on the new riser-rated halogen-free design.
"With our involvement with the USGBC, as well as the Green Suppliers Network, we not only support our own Lean and Green culture but strengthen our alignment with the sustainability goals of our partners and suppliers,” said Bethany Sarchet, National Accounts Manager, General Cable. “Lean manufacturing techniques coupled with sound environmental management strategies will ensure that we are delivering value to our customers – high-quality products with minimal waste and environmental impact.”
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“As we continue to strengthen as a Lean, flexible and responsive global organization, the quest to introduce new and better products through continuous improvement of environmentally-sound processes and product designs reflect our on-going commitment to achieving industry-leading standards,” concluded Richard Barker, Vice President, Technical Standards & Marketing for General Cable. “We are proud to a part of the U.S. Green Building Council.”
Visit www.usgbc.org and www.GeneralCable.com for more information.