Four pioneering companies demonstrate leadership with Cradle to Cradle Certified® Version 4.0
Following the launch of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard Version 4.0 in March 2021, several pioneering companies across different sectors embarked on certifying their products to the new standard, which features enhanced and more rigorous requirements in all performance categories.
Widely regarded as the most ambitious and actionable standard yet for designing and making sustainable products, Cradle to Cradle Certified® Version 4.0 reflects significant advancements in latest knowledge and understanding of what it takes to make products with a positive impact.
Companies applying for new product certifications as of 1 April 2022 are required to use Version 4.0 of the standard. Taking a proactive approach, Bang & Olufsen, Mecho, Novo Nordisk and Shaw Industries piloted their Cradle to Cradle Certified® certification journey under Version 4.0 starting in 2020 to certify a selection of their products to the new standard.
Bang & Olufsen and Novo Nordisk had their first ever Cradle to Cradle Certified® products certified to Version 4.0 in 2021. This achievement is particularly significant as both companies were also the first in their respective industries to certify their products.
The Beosound Level by Bang & Olufsen has been the first Cradle to Cradle Certified® product in the consumer electronics industry, achieving Bronze level under Version 4.0. Designed to improve longevity through modularity, the speaker is regarded as an example of how the wider consumer electronics industry can work collectively throughout the value chain to address e-waste issues and start making a positive impact on the planet. Read more
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk has been the first healthcare company in the world to receive Cradle to Cradle Certified for a product, obtaining Bronze level certification to Standard Version 4.0 for its Semaglutide 2.4 mg secondary paperboard packaging. As the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry steps up to take responsibility for its environmental impacts, the company is using findings from its first Cradle to Cradle Certified certification to inform initiatives to accelerate industry-wide product circularity, such as take-back programs for medical devices. Read more
On the other hand, for Mecho and Shaw Industries this experience represented a transition process, as both companies have been applying the the Cradle to Cradle Certified® methodology for more than a decade and already had products certified. The more rigorous standard brought new practical challenges and insights,requiring a rethink of their processes to enable a deeper-level alignment across internal teams and supply chains, as described by Kellie Ballew of Shaw, and Rachel Berman Berkin of Mecho during a recent experience-sharing webinar Making Products for Tomorrow: Demonstrating & Validating Leadership with Cradle to Cradle Certified® Version 4.
Global flooring provider Shaw Industries’ EcoWorx® carpet tile has achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified® Silver under the standard Version 4.0. Launched in 1999, EcoWorx® was among the first products of any kind to achieve Cradle to Cradle Certified certification. Today, almost 90 percent of the products Shaw manufactures are Cradle to Cradle Certified®. Read more
Solar shades producer Mecho has also been committed to the Cradle to Cradle methodology for the past two decades, offering today a range of certified products that encompass both hardware systems and textile collections. Mecho’s ElectroShade® iQ2 AC + DC Motorized Shade Systems have achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified® Bronze under the standard Version 4.0. Read more
By certifying their products to the world’s most rigorous sustainability standard, these companies have demonstrated pioneering leadership and taken tangible action towards their commitment to building a safe, circular and responsible future for people and planet.
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Cradle to Cradle Certified® is the world’s most advanced, science-based standard for designing and making products today that enable a healthy, equitable, and sustainable tomorrow.
Cradle to Cradle Certified is a registered trademark of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is dedicated to powering the circular economy through products and systems that have a positive impact on people and planet. Through the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program, the Institute sets the global standard for products that are safe, circular and responsibly made.
The Institute powers the global shift to a circular economy through partnerships and collaborative initiatives that equip businesses, governments and other stakeholders with the technical frameworks and knowledge they need to transform the way products are designed and made.
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Header image credit: Bang & Olufsen