Cradle to Cradle Certified
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Bronze Version 4.1 (effective July 1, 2024) is a globally recognized, multi-attribute standard for products designed for the circular economy, focusing on safe materials, water stewardship, and social fairness. The Bronze level signifies that a product meets basic requirements and has established a strategy for further, continuous improvement across five sustainability categories.
Key Information for Site Sourcing & Web Content (Version 4.1):
- Standard Overview: Version 4.1 is the latest, rigorous standard developed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. It is designed to meet evolving sustainability requirements and provides a framework for creating healthy, regenerative products.
- Performance Levels: C2C Certified sets four levels of achievement: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, based on continuous improvement.
- Bronze Requirements:
- Material Health: Products must not contain any C2C Certified Banned List chemicals.
- Material Reutilization: A strategy must be in place to ensure materials are designed for, and kept in, a closed-loop system (circular economy).
- Renewable Energy & Carbon Management: Assessment of the product's carbon footprint and energy use.
- Water Stewardship: Ensuring responsible water use during manufacturing.
- Social Fairness: Strategies to ensure fair treatment and operations.
- Version 4.1 Key Changes:
- Effective Date: 1 July 2024.
- Increased Rigor: Higher requirements for material health and circularity compared to previous versions.
- Supply Chain: Work to obtain compliance information from third-party suppliers begins at the Bronze level.
- Textile Compliance: ZDHC MRSL (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Manufacturing Restricted Substances List) conformance is an accepted alternative for demonstrating compliance with restrictions in the textile industry.
- Validation: All C2C Certified Bronze products are verified by independent, accredited assessors.
- Public Registry: Certified products, including their specific version and certification level, are publicly listed in the C2C Certified Product Registry.
This standard helps companies to verify their sustainability efforts in a transparent, science-based way and is highly recognized in the market.