Overview
The Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM program is a third party, multi-attribute eco-label administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute that assesses a product’s safety to humans and the environment and design for future life cycles. The program provides guidelines to help businesses implement the Cradle to Cradle framework, which focuses on using safe materials that can be disassembled and recycled as technical nutrients or composted as biological nutrients. Unlike single-attribute eco-labels, the Cradle to Cradle Certified program takes a comprehensive approach to evaluating the design of a product and the practices employed in manufacturing the product. The materials and manufacturing practices of each product are assessed in five categories: Material Health, Material Reutilization, Renewable Energy Use, Water Stewardship, and Social Responsibility.
The Cradle to Cradle Certified program was founded in 2005 by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC). In 2010, William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart formed the non-profit Institute to manage and administer the certification program as an independent third-party organization. MBDC gifted an exclusive license to the institute for the product certification mark and methodology. MBDC is the leading service provider for the certification program and partners with product manufacturers to complete the certification process. Learn more about consulting with MBDC to certify your product.
Eligibility
Products or materials from any industry that are sold to consumers or other businesses are eligible for certification. Certification criteria are the same for all product types. The Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM program does not apply to people, businesses, buildings, or processes.
Categories & Levels of Achievement
The Cradle to Cradle framework has outlined a vision to guide product design and manufacturing, and the certification program recognizes varying levels of achievement towards that goal. Under the current Version 3 of the program, there are five levels of product certification: Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum. In order to be certified at a certain level, a product must meet the minimum criteria for that level in all five criteria categories: Material Health, Material Reutilization, Renewable Energy Use, Water Stewardship, and Social Fairness.