Greenwashing is when a company spends more time and money with advertising, claiming to be “green” than actually being green. One resource that can help consumers combat
greenwashing is to check the company’s certifications. Certification programs do vary. Some are very reliable. Cradle to Cradle Certified™’ is one of the best.
More details about the process in 3 later posts starting here !
In this post:
More details about the process in 3 later posts starting here !
Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
…….. is a non-profit organization, for manufacturers and designers of consumer products. This brings about a new industrial revolution that improves what products are made of and how they are made.
Get Cradle to Cradle certified ! ——-OR – GET ON THE PATH
Cradle to Cradle Certified™ is a product certification of preference by leading retailers, brands, banks and sustainability standards.
This is a pathway for product manufacturers to make measurable advancement toward UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cradle to Cradle fosters natural resource stewardship, social fairness and sustainable production and consumption.
Banks are beginning to invest in companies that focus on sustainability and have Cradle to Cradle Certified™ products. The fiduciary responsibility of risk management integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) has begun. Cradle to Cradle Certified™ helps promote the granting of loans, etc. already available in 120 countries.
A product is evaluated regarding what it is made from (material health), how it can be cycled (material re-use), and how it is produced. This is to move the product higher levels of positive impact on energy / carbon, water and social fairness.
Online Resources for learning about the process
Cradle to Cradle developed an assessment/evaluation framework with clearly defined performance indicators to determine the actual effect of the certification on business, environment and social impact of a product.
The documentation for Cradle to Cradle Certified™’s Product Standard, is free online to guide you in setting up the process. It looks at your product through five quality categories — material health, material re-use, re-newable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness.
- What’s in your product?
- What’s next after its use?
- What resources does it take to make it?
- What does it take to produce it?
Start answering these key questions and get on the path toward reaching 21st century standards of quality and value.
More details about the process in 3 later posts starting here !
The Process to get Cradle to Cradle certified
- Determine if your product is appropriate for certification – many are not
- Select an Accredited Assessor/Evaluator for the testing, analysis, and evaluation of your product. You choose from a network of Assessors/Evaluators who are trained by the institute and then themselves accredited to help companies/entrepreneurs achieve certification for their products. These assessors come from totally independent organizations . More about this here.
- Work with your assessor to compile and evaluate data and documentation. More here.
- Receive certification for your product. Assessment Summary Reports are reviewed by the Institute, which certifies the product and registers your certificate with the institute.
- Work with the Institute and your marketing team.
- Report your progress.
An in-depth Series of Posts on the Path To Cradle To Cradle Certified™:
Path To Cradle To Cradle Certified™/1 How To?
Path To Cradle To Cradle Certified™/2 – The Homework
Path Cradle To Cradle Certified™/3 The Cost
The Costs of the Process fall in 2 areas
Cradle to Cradle Certified provides consumers, regulators, employees, and industry peers with a clear, visible, and tangible validation of a manufacturer’s ongoing commitment to sustainability – closed-loop. Assessment/evaluation costs are the bulk of the expense and investment. They vary by product type, complexity, and the amount of work needed to collect the information for the assessment. The Certification fees themselves are relatively low by industry standards.
- your Accredited Assessor/Evaluator – Assessment/evaluation costs will vary dramatically. I have asked for some indication of what this cost might be. I understand that due to the vast variety that our world of products includes it is almost impossible to state an estimate without knowing what is involved. Presently there are 15 independent companies that do this work. The Costs are negotiated based on the amount of work involved.
Perhaps the fee would be as low as $10,000. Since a young company / small business owner faces a “no capital” situation, there might be a small down-payment and then a percentage from future sales turn-over, until the fee was paid.
As many such projects involve existing medium size companies that are beginning to re-think their entire production and product development, the fee could be as much as $30,000 – $100,000+. More about that here.
– and when all the documentation is ready – - your Certification – The final certification fee is $3600 which covers the new product’s application fee, the first two years of certification and the maintenance in the Certified Product Registry, at Cradle to Cradle. Then re-certification is $2000.
What makes Cradle to Cradle Certified unique is that it is a multi-attribute certification that covers the chemistry, cyclability, and impacts on energy, water and social fairness.
The Revolution is Happening – get Cradle to Cradle certified
In 1992, William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart published The Hannover Principles: Design for Sustainability. In 2002, they published Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. In 2010, after 20 years of working with companies, they gifted the C2C license to the public through the creation of the Cradle2Cradle Products Innovation Institute – a very experienced agent of change and open source information.
Dr. Michael Braungart:
About Circular Shift
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is proud to present Circular Shift, its annual summit. Circular Shift unites some of industry’s best known leaders in a tangible exploration of approaches and strategies to innovate for a circular future. It will provide insights into latest practices and innovations, powered by the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program. Each attendee will engage with quality content and grow their understanding of current solutions and practical directions for their future work.
2022 – Hosted at the innovative landmark building Capital C in Amsterdam on 8 June, the Circular Shift summit convened over 130 leaders to share inspiration and demonstrate novel practices for the transition to circular systems and sustainable business models. The event was proudly presented by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
Circular Shift is a cross-sectoral event attracting decision makers from a diverse range of stakeholders and sectors, including built environment, furniture, fashion, textiles, cosmetics, personal care, cleaning products, electronics, automotive and packaging.
Important to note that LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and Cradle to Cradle are different tools in product development. One of the EMF Pioneer Universities, University College London, offers a course that speaks to the expanded ideas in Life Cycle Assessment – Full Circle – closed-loop.
Posts that talk about doing the home-work planet Earth’s way:
Do You Know Your Business’s Carbon Footprint?
Path To C2CC – Cradle To Cradle Certified™
Part #2 – Financing A Small Business In A Sustainable/Circular Economy
I Say The Future Is VERTICAL Axis Wind Turbines!
Like Nature does it. Biomimic Strategy = Harmony with planet Earth
Slow Down ?? Yes – No, Urgent Changes , BUT…..
Too Much Methane !
Wave Power Is Very Very “Energy Dense”!
There are a number of posts that talk about Cradle to Cradle Certified™:
Cradle to Cradle Certified™ – paving the way
>Path to Cradle to Cradle Certified™ – #1 How to get ready to “Do the Homework”?
>Path to Cradle to Cradle Certified™ #2 – the Homework
>Path Cradle to Cradle Certified™ – #3 The Cost
Product Design Review – The verdict: Form should still follow Function*
Do you know your Business’s Carbon Footprint?
Part #2 – Financing a Small Business in a Sustainable/Circular Economy