Moving away from the throwaway society: C2C LAB in Berlin is expanding – and ADLER is on board again!

“Circularity instead of crisis” is the motto of the Cradle to Cradle NGO: this non-profit organisation brings together business, science, education, politics and civil society to achieve a single goal: materials should no longer end up as waste, but serve as nutrients for something new – just as nature demonstrates. With the C2C LAB in Berlin, which opened in 2019, the initiative impressively demonstrates how it’s done: a former East German prefabricated block of flats was refurbished according to C2C criteria and transformed into a flagship project for sustainability and a materials depot of the future. ADLER was already on board back then – so when the time came to expand the innovation lab, Austria’s leading paint manufacturer and eco-pioneer was, of course, more than happy to once again provide C2C-certified coatings to bring colour to this flagship project.

Cheerful splashes of colour

With the 150-square-metre extension to the C2C LAB, the number of products and systems used has doubled. Around 100 companies have contributed products, materials and services that have been incorporated into the building or can be experienced during its operation. For the colourful design of the radiators, pipes and door elements, ADLER’s tried-and-tested all-round paint, Vivido Varicolor, was once again used: In fresh green, cheerful orange and elegant light and dark grey, as well as a touch of black, it creates cheerful contrasts in the new event spaces. The paint was carefully applied by ten highly motivated apprentices from the specialist painting firm Schippers & Söhne. They were able to experience first-hand on the building site how circular construction works in practice. And through more than 100 workshops, meetings and seminars set to take place each year at the recently opened Community Hub, these innovative, material-efficient circular solutions are now set to find their way into widespread use.