Cradle-to-Cradle
What is Cradle-to-Cradle, who is doing it, how to do it and how to get certified?
It all started in 2002, when the book "Cradle-to-Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things" by McDonough and Braungart was published, pinpointing the need to create a "loop industry". This means everything that is generated from the production proceess must eventually be reintegrated in the process. Nothing gets wasted, send to the landfill or incinerated. Or, by using Einstein's quote "Nothing is ever lost, everything transforms". As an example: after a shoe is being produced, sold to the consumer and then disgarded, it must return to the factory where it will be processed to become a new shoe. And the whole process repeats, creating a loop. The process from the birth of the shoe to the rebirth of a new shoe, thus the name "cradle to cradle".
The model has been implemented in various companies, organizations and governments all around the world, especially in the European Union, China and the US.
In the C2C model, it's important to start from the birth of the product. Planning the materials from which it will be created in such a manner that it will be possible to reuse the materials and reintroduce them in the production process again. The materials are either Techological or Biological.
The Technological materials should be non-toxic, with no negaitve effect on the environment. And they should be able to be reused without loosing their integrity or quality. For example stainless steel.
The Biological materials should be organic and biodegradable (decomposable). The goal is to introduce them back in the soil, without damaging the environment.
The term itslef "Cradle to Cradle" was a registered trademark of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) consultants who created the C2C certification. Since 2012 MBDC turned the certification over to an independent non-profit called the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
The model McDonough and Braungart propose is based on a loop and 5 certification criteria as follows:
Cradle-to-Cradle (short C2C) is a big and important part of the Zero Waste goal, along with the ISO 14001 certificate EMS (Environmental Management System).
It is currently a certification used by both companies and governments to not just show social and environmental responsability, but also to improve production, increase sales, reduce waste and boost brand image.
As a continuous improvement methodology, the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard evaluates products across five categories: material health, material reutilisation, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness.
Today, over 200 product companies have designed, manufactured and optimised thousands of products using the guidance the C2C program provides.
For more information, please refer to the www.c2ccertified.org website. Or www.c2c-centre.com.
For the Japanese version, please visit here: http://www.c2c-centre.com/library-item/cradle-cradle%C2%AE-japanese-edition
Courtesy of Wikipedia
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute created a report to show how 10 of the most successful C2C certified companies have benefited from the Cradle to Cradle innovative methodology. The report shows that product optimisation in response to the certification process brought benefits such as reduced costs, improved product value, new revenue streams and avoided risks. It is important to notice that during the C2C certification new possibilities that would otherwise never arise.
For a list of all the companies who are C2C certified, click here.
The 10 companies who joined the pilot program to develop, test and refine the assessment, together represent a variety of products from different sectors, geographic regions and Cradle to Cradle product scores. Learn how these companies did by downloading their detailed reports for free, below:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF C2C BENEFITS TECHNICAL REPORT REGARDING THE IMPACT OF C2C