JUNG is the first manufacturer worldwide with Cradle to Cradle certified KNX products.
The LS 990, LS CUBE, AS 500, A 550, A FLOW and A CREATION series and programmes from JUNG have been awarded the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certificate and the C2C Material Health certificate following an elaborate testing process. Cradle to Cradle Certified® Bronze for LS 990, LS CUBE, AS 500, A 550, A FLOW, A CREATION including highly differentiated KNX sensor technology
Over 50 individual products, from rocker switches to push-buttons, frames to inserts, classic sockets to sockets with USB connections or Safety+ inserts, and covers to entire modules, etc., have received the coveted award. One particular challenge was the certification of the complete KNX modules, such as the push-button sensor module and the room controller module with their small-scale and complex technology. The BRONZE certification of the JUNG KNX sensor technology and the KNX motion detector is a significant step forward for the industry. JUNG is currently the only manufacturer in the world to have achieved this. In the future, C2C-certified switches will not only enable smart buildings to be controlled intelligently and automatically, but will also contribute to a closed-loop economy.
Additionally, 120 individual elements were awarded the BRONZE C2C Material Health Certificate™ as part of the process. The Material Health Certificate creates certainty about the materials used in products and their supply chain. In order to exclude chemicals of concern, a very strict, globally recognised assessment procedure is applied.
Initially, JUNG has focused on its obtaining certification for its general product range and technology, so that all its products in alpine white have now gone through the procedure.
Cradle to Cradle Certified® is the international standard for sustainable, circular and responsible products. As the name Cradle to Cradle implies, it involves examining the entire value chain to ensure that products do not have a detrimental influence on people or the environment during their entire life cycle. All the materials used can either be returned to the biological cycle after use or remain permanently in a technical cycle in the form of recycling and reuse.
“Cradle to Cradle certification is enormously complex. A KNX push-button module alone consists of many individual mechanical parts and electronic components. For these elements, all five components of the C2C process have to be completed: Material Health, Product Circularity, Clean Air & Climate Protection, Water & Soil Stewardship and Social Fairness. This mammoth task has kept us busy for almost two years now. JUNG has always laid importance on sustainable production, direct supply chains with short distances, and securing a balance between ecological, economic and social concerns. All of this has been in our corporate DNA for 110 years. It’s even nicer, therefore, that all these efforts are now visible and provable through the Cradle to Cradle certificate.” Deniz Turgut, Head of Marketing JUNG
Environmentally-friendly material, renewable energy, recycled content
All the certified series are produced using renewable energy. They are separable by type and can thus be fed into the recycling cycle. Evidenced by C2C Material Health certification, no environmentally harmful chemicals are used in production. Plastic switches from JUNG are made of an environmentally-friendly thermoset material. The manufacturer is one of the main players in the field of research, production and processing of “green” chemicals worldwide. The material used for the JUNG switch range consists of a mixture of α-cellulose (100% from sustainable production with international FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification) and additives. The material is environmentally friendly, ecologically sustainable, not based on petrochemicals and not oxidatively degradable (i.e. no microplastics are produced). JUNG’s thermoset products already consist of approx. 2% recycled plastics and 40% recycled metals.
JUNG and sustainability
A light switch is a light switch, you might think. Far from it! JUNG understands architecture as the sum of its parts. An architectural idea can only be implemented with high-quality materials and products that meet the respective design requirements. Only through robust, durable and sustainably produced components can manufacturers live up to their responsibility for the environment and building culture. In this respect, a switch is not just a switch – it is a relevant part of the big picture.
Lived passion for quality, progress and design
Construction is constantly evolving according to the spirit of the times and technological progress. At JUNG, we see it as our responsibility not only to follow this development, but also to shape it positively. For three generations, the company has lived by its motto “Progress as tradition”. Both aspects, the preservation of traditions and values as well as investment in research and sustainable technologies, are deeply rooted in the company’s DNA. This is primarily related to the founding family’s self-image. The company originated in 1912, when electrician Albrecht Jung revolutionised the market with his invention of the then novel pull light switch. More than 100 years later, JUNG is still making its mark with innovative technology, including KNX and radio systems, for example. However, JUNG has remained true to its original product, and to this day, switches remain the “heart” of the company.
Sustainable production, environmentally-friendly materials
JUNG’s commitment to production in Germany ensures sustainable development and manufacturing processes, short logistics routes for suppliers and energy-efficient production and intelligent packaging from waste paper. Precision craftsmanship and high design quality ensure that its products are robust, since a long product life is also important. The entire life cycle of architecture and the building products used for it is becoming more and more apparent to users and influences JUNG manufacturing as much as the products. The successful Cradle to Cradle certification for the LS 990, LS CUBE, AS 500, A 550, A FLOW and A CREATION series is now impressive proof of this.
Shaping architecture together
As one of the largest employers in the region, for JUNG it has always been important to provide reliable, sustainable and identity-creating ideals, to create attractive living spaces and to actively participate in shaping a future worth living in with sustainable actions. Planting trees isn’t just a symbolic act. As a global brand, for JUNG it’s important to master the balancing act between local social and environmental responsibility and strong international growth.
Dialogue based on trust is indispensable in this context. JUNG is interested in what drives the industry and discusses it in the podcast series JUNG Architecture Talks and the JUNG Lectures with renowned protagonists of the architecture scene. This is how visions become ideas, and ideas become reliable product solutions.
The detailed list of certified products and the certificate itself can be viewed on the C2C website
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