A multi-attribute protocol
The Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM program is a multi-attribute quality mark 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 and absorbed as biological nutrients. Unlike single attribute eco-labels, our program takes a comprehensive approach to evaluating the sustainability of a product and the practices employed in manufacturing the product.
This total quality framework has been designed to support companies in creating products that are “more good” rather than simply “less bad.” Each of the five criteria spell out the steps necessary for transforming products, and the Innovation Hub on the Institute website offers expert and peer advice in how to get there. This way, industry will achieve new levels of environmental and human health and safety for all products sold to consumers.
BETA UPDATE: Feb 28, 2012: When MBDC licensed its protocol to the Institute, it was for use of the current framework, Version 2, and the forthcoming Version 3. The latter has just been completed (in final form) and will be reviewed by our Advisory Groups in April. The criteria below reflects the current protocol (V2) that is still the governing framework for issuing certifications. The Executive Summary of V3 will be posted in March 2012.
Material health
The Cradle to Cradle® design protocol calls for materials to be defined as technical or biological nutrients that are safe and healthy for humans and the environment. Working with the product manufacturer and suppliers, each product formulation is mapped out and broken down into its chemical constituents. Through the certification process an assessor collaborates with a company’s entire supply chain to map out every chemical in the product above 0.01% (or 100ppm), a process which exceeds environmental regulations and mitigates the risks of not knowing everything in your product. These chemicals are then evaluated against 19 criteria for human and environmental health and given a toxicity rating of Red, Yellow, or Green. Unlike other programs that simply measure what harmful chemicals are being emitted from a product, the Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM program examines the toxicity of every material that goes INTO a product and provides a path to help manufacturers improve product design and safety to humans and the environment.
View the full material health criteria »
Program reference
At the Platinum certification level, manufacturers of wood products are required to use FSC Certified wood.
Forest Stewardship Council (www.fsc.org)
Material reutilization
The Cradle to Cradle® framework seeks to eliminate the concept of waste and promotes design that encourages the recyclability of the product for future uses. This category rewards products that contain recycled or renewable materials and are designed to be reclaimed as technical or biological nutrients in future life cycles. At higher levels of certification, manufacturers are expected to develop and implement a strategy to close the loop on the product at the end of its useful life.
Energy
The impacts of climate change have demonstrated the environmental and economical problems associated with relying on fossil fuels for our energy needs. The Cradle to Cradle® framework is working toward a future of energy independence by harnessing “current solar income,” not the relics of ancient sunlight. “Current solar income” refers to all renewable resources, including solar, wind, biomass and low-hydro projects.
The goal of this category is to encourage manufacturers and their suppliers to manage their carbon emissions as efficiently and effectively as possible, while taking into account individual circumstances and assets available. Instead of minimizing the effects of inherently unsustainable activities, industry could be pursuing wholly sustainable goals, seeing carbon not as something negative and destructive, but as a resource. Cradle to Cradle® posits that an optimal carbon economy is one where energy is derived from current renewable energy sources, while other carbon emissions sources are returned to forests and soil.
The scope of the emissions measured in this category are initially contained to the facility assembling or manufacturing a product before it goes to the consumer (Scope 1 and 2 emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol). More points are awarded as more of the carbon footprint is included.
View the full energy criteria »
Program reference
At the Gold and Platinum certification levels, manufacturers are required to use renewable energy. If Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are purchased, they must be Green-e Certified. (http://www.green-e.org/)
Water stewardship
Water may appear to be a cheap, abundant and renewable resource, but in reality, just 3 percent of all water across the globe is usable. Unless an amount of clean water equal to what is withdrawn is returned to our aquifers, this resource cannot be considered truly renewable.
The goal of this category is to encourage manufacturers to move toward treating water as the valuable resource it is. By effectively managing water resources, manufacturers also reduce their business risk. These goals can be achieved by understanding water withdrawals, consumption, and healthier releases in a local context and innovating in the areas of improving conservation, quality and social equity.
The scope of the water stewardship measured in this category applies to the facility or facilities where a final product is manufactured, including any contracting facilities.
View the full water criteria »
Program references
At the Silver through Platinum certification levels, manufacturers are required to adopt a set of guiding principles for protecting the quality and quantity of water resources. The following are resources that can be used as a guide:
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (www.wbcsd.org)
Hannover Principles: Design for Sustainability - Water (www.gemi.org/water/resources/hannover.htm)
At the Gold certification level, manufacturers are required to complete a water audit of their manufacturing process. This process is based on the Global Environmental Management Initiative resources. (www.gemi.org/water)
Social responsibility
Celebrating diversity is one of the central principles of Cradle to Cradle®. Manufacturers are encouraged to practice business in a way that promotes the health, safety, and rights of people and the planet.
View the full social responsibility criteria »
Get help: consultants and assessors »
Program references
At the Silver through Platinum certification levels, manufacturers must publicly adopt a set of guiding principles for social responsibility that address fair labor practices, corporate and personal ethics, supplier relationships, and community relationships. The following are resources that can be used as a guide:
UN Global Compact (www.unglobalcompact.org)
Global Sullivan Principles (http://www.thesullivanfoundation.org/about/global_sullivan_principles)
At the Gold and Platinum certification levels, manufacturers are required to prepare for and obtain a third-party social responsibility or fair labor certification.The following are recommended programs:
B Corporation (www.bcorporation.net)
Social Accountability International SA8000 (http://www.sa-intl.org/)