The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has launched a new product certification—the C2C Certified Circularity—to reshape sustainable product design and manufacturing by empowering companies of all sizes to intentionally develop products for the circular economy.
- Based on the recently updated Cradle to Cradle Certified Version 4.1 standard, this new certification offers measurable goals to guide all aspects of circular product development—from design and sourcing, to circular systems, packaging, and material health.
THE REQUIREMENTS for C2C Certified Circularity focus on product circularity, one of the five core categories of the Cradle to Cradle Certified framework. These requirements are structured around three key areas:
- circular sourcing,
- circular design, and
- circular systems.
This comprehensive approach ensures that products are intentionally designed for their next use and actively cycled within their intended pathways, such as reuse and/or recycling paths—decoupling value creation from carbon emissions, turning waste into resources, and increasing long term resilience.
ALIGNMENT WITH EU AND US REGULATIONS: One of the standout features of C2C Certified Circularity is its ability to help companies stay ahead of existing and upcoming regulations and reporting requirements.
- C2C Certified Circularity goes beyond the baseline requirements of the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) by tackling the problem of waste at the source, and generates a third-party verified Circularity Data Report that sets companies up for the Digital Product Passport (DPP); and, in the US, helps companies meet growing state-level requirements to reduce waste through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies, recycled content and recycling requirements.
- As a supportive tool for compliance, the certification will help companies meet and go beyond evolving regulatory standards while fostering innovation in circular design.
WHAT THEY SAID
Building on the success and network of Cradle to Cradle Certified®, this new certification will help companies create thousands more verified circular products that consumers can trust. As we continue to exceed critical planetary boundaries, the need for circularity in product design is more urgent than ever.
— Elwyn Grainger-Jones
Executive Director
Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
Expanding our portfolio with C2C Certified® Circularity is an excellent development in the 20-year legacy of the program, to further drive the shift toward safe, sustainable, and circular production practices. This new certification reinforces the vital importance of circularity and regenerative practices to innovate into a world where products are designed for use and next use as perpetual, clean assets for future generations.
— William McDonough
Co-founder
Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
Establishing a global product circularity standard across sectors is vital; it sets the stage for brands and manufacturers to align on best practices that minimize waste, optimize resource use, and foster circular design innovation. Together, we can step by step transform industries into sustainable ecosystems that respect our planet and communities, avoid climate breakdown, and help double global circularity by 2032.
— Hilde van Duijn
Managing Director
Circle Economy Foundation
