About the innovation institute
A large scale transformation
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is a non-profit organization created to bring about a large scale transformation in the way we make things.
Imagine a world where… cars clean our air and brake dust feeds our soil… textile and food mills detoxify our rivers… where we celebrate new technology because it empties the landfills and creates safe jobs… each new child is greeted not as a “population problem” who will take our dwindling resources, but as the miracle that they are.
Our mission is to guide product manufacturers and designers in making safe and healthy things for
our world.
The Institute, using the Cradle to Cradle® framework, works with leaders from academia, the NGO environmental community, government and industry to establish a rating system for assessing and constant improvement of products based upon five categories:
1. safe and appropriately sourced materials;
2. material reutilization;
3. renewable energy;
4. release of clean water; and
5. social fairness.
Products that meet the transparent criteria of this rating system will receive the Cradle to Cradle CM certification mark.
McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry has licensed the certification mark along with the Cradle to Cradle ® protocols to the Institute, which will be responsible for certifying products moving forward. Many companies representing multiple industries have already demonstrated the viability and benefits of designing products according to the Cradle to Cradle® framework, such as Herman Miller, Shaw Industries, Ford Motor Company and Aveda. To date, nearly 400 products and 90 companies have engaged in the Cradle to Cradle certified CM process.
Core functions
Cradle to CradleCM
Companies interested in certifying a product can contact the Institute to find a consultant or assessment provider with domain expertise. As assessors come on board, this information will be available online. The company pays all fees to the Institute, who then ensures a rigorous assessment and audit on the certification application.
Training our partners
The Institute trains and certifies consultants, service providers, and auditors who assist companies in complying with the certification requirements. These partners will submit their assessments to the Institute for auditing and a certificate will be issued if the product meets the prerequisites.
For more information about our partners, including how to become one, click here.
Open Tools
The Institute is developing an open, public database of “preferred” alternative chemicals, materials and processes. These viable alternatives will help companies reformulate or retool to create new products. Many leading companies are already sharing their lists of preferred materials, understanding that buyers respond most to full transparency. They understand that we all benefit when we can share from a common palette of healthy and safe ingredients. Join them and innovators of new materials in our Innovation Hub.
An international presence
The Institute is based in San Francisco, California, and will play an international role in two ways: first, the Institute will be the global reference standard for Cradle to CradleCM product certification. The design principles are already informing major industrial redesign efforts by the governments of Netherlands, Israel and China. Our governance structure allows for replication while keeping core tenets and metrics coherent.
Institute funding
Initially, the Institute will be funded by private donations from organizations and individuals with the same core values as the Institute. After the Institute is established, it will be funded through training, product registration and certification fees.
An initial grant was provided by the DOEN Foundation. DOEN actively seeks pioneers who make a positive contribution to decrease the negative effects of human behavior on climate change, cultivating an open society based on solidarity and promoting a new economy. The Foundation was established in 1991 by the Dutch Postcode Lottery to generate funds for charity organizations dedicated to ‘people’ and the ‘planet.’
Additional funding has also been made available by the Schmidt Family Foundation. Established in 2006 by Wendy and Eric Schmidt, its mission is to advance the creation of an increasingly intelligent relationship between human activity and the use of the world’s natural resources.
