CRADLE TO CRADLE

What is Cradle to Cradle ?

Cradle to Cradle is an international label, conceived to improve manufacturing companies commitment to circular economy and sustainable development.
It has been thought as a philosophy, giving participating industries clear goals to improve both their design and production process, in order to have a positive impact on resources, energy and people.
All kinds of products can be labelled, from fragrances to flooring, from clothes to water bottles, from window treatments to furniture’s or to electrical and electronic goods.

More than a manufacturing standard, Cradle to Cradle Certified™ has become a true reference when it comes to product selection in purchasing process.

How is a product certified ?

To be eligible to the Cradle to Cradle certification, a product is tested for complementary demanding criteria :

• Material health

• Material reuse

• Renewable energy and carbon management

• Water stewardship

• Social fairness

The product is then given an overall level (Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), which corresponds to the lowest level reached in the previously mentioned categories.

For instance, a product that would achieve Gold in Material health but only Bronze in Social fairness will be finally given the overall Bronze certification.

Once a product has been certified, it can improve over time, as the required standards for all five criteria are clearly defined for each level. Manufacturing companies can launch industrial or social programs to reach the next best level.

What is the certification process ?

Cradle to Cradle Institute is working with rigorously selected third part auditing companies.

Once it has been validated the product corresponds to key validation criteria (scope of certification, no product component on the “Banned Chemicals Lists”, internal program for product optimization), an accredited assessment body should be appointed to lead the whole evaluation process.

The assessor will only present the case to the Cradle to Cradle Institute when all elements about the five criteria have been fulfilled and complain with the expected standards.

Most important step is the every other year evaluation protocol, to gather data and check optimization strategies results. This is necessary to be recertified and possibly upgraded.

For more information, you can browse:

• Cradle to Cradle official website

And to go further on this topic:

• EPEA website
• SGS Search website
• C2C World by EPEA - video
• The Cradle to Cradle product certification by SGS Search - video

 Cradle to Cradle Certified™ is a registered trademark of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.