The Cradle to Cradle Design Protocol implements material and process criteria that avoid many of the risks created by current industrial practices, moving far beyond simple regulatory compliance.

Risks to environmental and human health are reduced by eliminating the concept of waste—toxic or otherwise—and selecting materials that are safe to both human and natural systems. As public scrutiny and class action lawsuits increase, designing such risks out of products has large payback potential for more and more industries and companies.

For example, by designing Climatex Lifecycle fabrics to be completely free of toxins or other harmful substances, MBDC's client Rohner Textil has greatly reduced their risk of accidents and lawsuits. More importantly, they have improved relations with their employees, consumers, and the public as a whole.