(Image above from MBDC, LLC. (2022, 1 februari). HOW TO GET YOUR PRODUCT CRADLE TO CRADLE CERTIFIED® – MBDC.)
Cradle to Cradle certification is a checklist of different levels of scoring which requires you to assess your product and how it’s produced in five categories: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy & carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. It applies only to physical products, but also considers aspects of how your company does business, beyond the physical product. It is most applicable to products with only a few ingredients, such as furniture, food, clothing, or building materials.
You can also use Cradle to Cradle certification as a criterion to choose what materials to include in your product. You can see a searchable list of C2C-certified products here.
Video Attribution: Video by Jeremy Faludi
This video lists and briefly explains all the points in Cradle to Cradle Certification version 3, for product development teams and operations managers. You can use it either to measure your success, or as a design guide for sustainability.
Usage
Cradle to Cradle certification is a checklist of different levels of scoring which requires you to assess your product and how it’s produced in five categories: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy & carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. It applies only to physical products, but also considers aspects of how your company does business, beyond the physical product. It is most applicable to products with only a few ingredients, such as furniture, food, clothing, or building materials.
You can also use Cradle to Cradle certification as a criterion to choose what materials to include in your product. You can see a searchable list of C2C-certified products here.
Benefits
- Market Appeal: Companies can use C2C certification to differentiate their products in the market, showing high standards of sustainability.
- Innovation Driver: Use C2C checklist as design and manufacturing suggestions, to go beyond mere efficiency and strive for eco-effectiveness.
- Regulatory Compliance: Embracing C2C principles can help companies stay ahead of regulatory requirements related to environmental sustainability. By proactively adopting eco-friendly practices, companies can mitigate the risk of non-compliance with future environmental regulations.
Limitations/Risks
- Because the scorecard requires identifying and assessing the health of all materials down to 100 ppm, products with electronics can almost never be certified.
- The scorecard points on the energy consumption do not capture all lifecycle stages, such as use, and disposal.
- The scorecard points for social benefit rely on other social sustainability scorecards, user discretion is required.
- The scorecard involves some subjectivity, especially in health and social assessments, so some points can be argued.