Cradle to Cradle Certification
Last Updated: Feb 13, 2025Rise has written previously about zero waste for our homes. Integral to "zero waste" is the concept of a product's entire life cycle—from manufacturing to use to obsolescence. That's where the pioneering standard of "cradle-to-cradle" comes into play.
Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard is the certification that helps regulators, consumers, employees, and the industry have a clear, evident, and tangible validation of a manufacturer's commitment to their communities and sustainability. The first thing you might want to know about this certification is the meaning of "cradle to cradle." The phrase we're familiar with is "cradle to grave," right? So why the switch? As it turns out, the question is critical to the mission of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, a nonprofit based in Oakland, California, and the Netherlands.
Table of Contents
- What Are Some Cradle to Cradle Certified Products?
- What Does It Mean to Be Cradle to Cradle Certified?
- Cradle-to-Cradle Certified™ Product Scorecard
- How Can A Product Become Cradle-to-Cradle Certified™?
- What Does Cradle to Cradle Certification Mean For Homeowners and Designers?
A review of the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart, despite mantras like "reduce, reuse, recycle," we have been stuck on a one-way cradle-to-grave manufacturing model since the Industrial Revolution. This outdated model implies that a product has one useful life—or even several if reused or recycled—but no ultimate endpoint besides waste or pollution.
What Are Some Cradle to Cradle Certified Products?
You can find a wide variety of Cradle to Cradle certified™ products online in the product registry. These products are organized in categories ranging from 'Auto and Tires' to 'Baby,' 'Building Materials, 'Fashion and Textiles' and Health and Beauty.'
Example Product: Accoya Wood
The 'Building Materials' category includes a product called Accoya Wood. This product is an acetylation-modified wood building material that can "used for virtually anything from windows to doors, decking to cladding, and bridges to boats."
Cradle To Cradle Certified Paint
But what about a product like paint? Old paint can be troublesome as it usually needs to be disposed of at a hazardous material drop-off site. Then that waste has to be dealt with over many years. One certified paint brand on the certified list is called Graphenstone. It is an indoor and outdoor paint and filler which uses graphene. Graphene has been extolled as an "ultra-strong, ultra-thin supermaterial which could yield a technological revolution." Applications include paint, condoms, electronics, and bulletproof armor.
These are just a very few examples of hundreds of innovative and highly environmentally sustainable products described, rated, and linked on the Cradle-to-Cradle Certified™ products inventory.
Cradle-to-Cradle Certified™ Product Scorecard
According to the site, products receive an achievement level for each category: Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. The lowest achievement level represents the product's overall score. Note that the overall rating does not exceed the lowest rating in any category. It is also interesting to read that "this program is not based on the binary, pass/fail model, but instead incorporates the concept of continuous improvement." Please see the full standard here for an exhaustive and highly technical review of what goes into a product's rating in any quality category.
How Can A Product Become Cradle-to-Cradle Certified™?
There are several steps to achieve Cradle to Cradle Certification™, fully specified here. The certification process includes deciding if your product is appropriate for certification. For example, does it comply with the Banned Chemicals List? Then, you'll select one of several companies to assess your product. Finally, you'll work with this assessor to compile and evaluate your data and documentation. Other requirements for certification include evidence of continuous improvement and a site visit of production facilities.
More and more businesses are taking this cradle to cradle approach. So, be sure to check the product registry when specifying products for your house—you might be surprised at the cool options you'll find!
Donna Pols Trump
Donna Pols Trump’s work has been published in literary magazines and online. She has received several Pushcart Prize nominations. Donna’s education includes degrees in Biology and Physical Therapy and a host of writing classes taken and taught at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Her short story “Portage” was selected by judge Anne Tyler for first prize in a 2018 contest sponsored by december magazine.
