Cargill teams with Healthier Choice to provide premium flooring material to Habitat for Humanity House
3 December 2008
Contact: Bill Brady, 952-742-6608, bill_brady@cargill.com
CRYSTAL, Minn. – Cargill customer and premium carpet cushion manufacturer Healthier Choice has donated over 1,500 square feet of biobased carpet cushion and underlayment to an eco-friendly Habitat for Humanity home on 36th Avenue North in Crystal, Minn. The cushion is made in part with Cargill’s BiOH® polyols. The cushion and underlayment will be installed in Habitat’s first Twin Cities home to seek “green” certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Cargill’s BiOH polyols business will be making additional donations of environmentally friendly furniture and mattresses directly to the family that will be living in the home upon completion of construction.
Derived from natural vegetable oils such as soybean oil, BiOH polyols help manufacturers reduce their environmental footprint by replacing a significant portion of the petroleum-based polyols from which carpet cushion is traditionally made. Manufacturers are applying the technology to make new products for flooring, bedding, and furniture uses.
“We’re thrilled that Healthier Choice has joined us in this donation,” said Yusuf Wazirzada, head of Cargill Biobased Polyurethanes and one of 400 Cargill employees and retirees who volunteered with Habitat to help build the home. “Like BiOH polyols, Healthier Choice products represent a step on the journey to a sustainable world. And like Cargill, Healthier Choice works in the community on economic, environmental and social challenges. Contributing to a Habitat home built to LEED standards seemed an ideal way to further both companies’ aspirations.”
Healthier Choice, an environmentally conscious maker of functional foam underlay, began integrating BiOH polyols throughout their product line in January 2008. Products featuring BiOH polyols include Healthier Choice Carpet Cushion and Foundation Contract Carpet Cushion.
“Healthier Choice constantly strives to produce premium products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly,” said Craig Poteet, President of Healthier Choice. “Incorporating Cargill’s BiOH polyols into our products has helped us achieve this goal. We are thrilled to be partnering with Cargill in their donation to Habitat, and we are very excited to be a part of Habitat’s first home in the Twin Cities to seek LEED certification.”
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Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 160,000 employees in 67 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed.
