Cradle to Cradle Certified, Version 4.0
The current standard in force is the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard Version 4.0, launched in April 2021. This is the most ambitious and actionable global standard yet for developing products that are safe, circular and responsibly made. The standard’s methodology addresses interconnected sustainability topics across design and manufacturing phases.
Suitable for businesses of all sizes, the standard offers a comprehensive single-standard solution that will help you advance from commitment to action through the following five-step pathway:
Prioritize action across five sustainability focus areas: Material Health, Product Circularity, Clean Air & Climate Protection, Water & Soil Stewardship, and Social Fairness
Enact roadmaps for change, from product innovation to operations.
Transform business models, systems and collaboration throughout the value chain.
Verify sustainability performance and measure progress.
Lead industry transformation towards a safe, circular and equitable future.
The so-called R-Strategies are widely known as design strategies for circular product design. So, what does it take to successfully apply these strategies to your product life cycle when you intend to work towards Cradle to Cradle Certified®?
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.
How we design and make products today has a direct impact on the world we will inhabit tomorrow. For more than a decade, leading brands, designers and manufacturers have relied on the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard to optimize products for immediate and long-term positive impacts.