Cradle to Cradle Certified®
The Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program redefines products made for tomorrow. It is owned and developed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and comprises the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard and the C2C Certified Material Health Certificate™.
The Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard is the world’s most ambitious and actionable standard for designing and making products that enable a healthy, equitable and sustainable future.
The C2C Certified Material Health Certificate™ is a standalone certificate issued to products that meet only the material health requirements of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard.
What makes a product sustainable?
To achieve the Cradle to Cradle Certified certification, products are assessed according to five critical categories of sustainability performance:
Assessed products receive an achievement level for each category: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. The overall certification of a product depends on the lowest level of achievement.
Achievement levels
Each level – Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum – has a set of different criteria. The higher the level, the more severe the criteria. The lowest level obtained in one of the five categories determines the overall score of the product.
Cradle to Cradle Certified Categories
Material health
Ensuring that materials are safe for humans and the environment
Chemicals and materials used in a product are selected to prioritize the protection of human health and the environment, generating a positive impact on the quality of materials available for future use and cycling.
Product Circularity
Enabling a circular economy through regenerative products and process design
Products are intentionally designed for their next use and are actively cycled in their intended cycling pathways.
Air & Climate Protection
Protecting clean air, promoting renewable energy, and reducing harmful emissions
Product manufacturing results in a positive impact on air quality, the renewable energy supply, and the balance of climate changing greenhouse gases.
Water & Soil Stewardship
Safeguarding clean water and healthy soils
Water and soil are treated as precious and shared resources. Watersheds and soil ecosystems are protected, and clean water and healthy soils are available to people and all other organisms.
Social Fairness
Respecting human rights and contributing to a fair and equitable society
Companies are committed to upholding human rights and applying fair and equitable business practices.
Learn more about the certification process
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Certification
Products are assessed according to the five critical categories of sustainability performance. Each category receives an achievement level: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
The overall certification of the product corresponds to the lowest level of achievement in one of the five categories.
In the example, you see that the product obtained the Silver level for the categories Clean Air & Climate Protection and Water & Soil Stewardship. The product was as such awarded the Cradle to Cradle Certified® certification at the Silver level.
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard Version 4.0
The Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard Version 4.0 is the most ambitious and actionable standard yet for designing and making products that enable a healthy, equitable and sustainable future.
Launched in March 2021, the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Version 4.0 features new and enhanced requirements in all performance categories, including:
- New frameworks for Product Circularity and Social Fairness that define global best practices.
- More rigorous requirements in Clean Air & Climate Protection to promote urgent action to address climate change.
- Expanded requirements in Water & Soil Stewardship to ensure clean water and healthy soils are available to people and all other organisms.
- Improved alignment of Material Health requirements with leading chemical regulations and other standards, including a new Restricted Substances List.
Read more about Version 4.0.