CRADLE TO CRADLE® CERTIFICATION

Cradle to Cradle Certified® is an internationally recognised certification for measuring the sustainability of products from a circular economy perspective. Designers and manufacturers rely on the C2C Certified certification to transform their products, in order to have a positive impact on people and the planet.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified® product standard is a continuous improvement methodology that assesses products in 5 categories.

The five categories of the Cradle to Cradle certification

• Healthiness of materials: products are made from materials that are healthy for people and the environment;
• Circularity of materials: products are designed so that all the materials from which they are made can be safely reused by nature or industry;
• Renewable energy and carbon management: products are assembled and manufactured using renewable and non-polluting energy;
• Water management: products are manufactured in a way that protects and enriches water resources;
• Social equity: products are manufactured in a way that promotes social aspects.

Cradle to Cradle product certification takes place with a rating system that allows for the step-by-step implementation of products that improve quality of life and the environment. The activities are carried out by a qualified Assessor Body recognised by the C2C Product Innovation Institute. Scores are then assigned to achieve different levels such as Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, with the aim that a product can be optimised over time in every aspect.

The certification is issued by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) and is a mark of certification for the exclusive use of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

Benefits for companies

Companies that obtain the C2C Certified certification have the advantage of meeting the needs of their customers who are oriented towards products that meet sustainability criteria and respect the principles of the circular economy. In addition, a C2C assessment allows for awareness of possible product improvements.

Greenwich Consulting

Greenwich offers a specialist consultancy service for the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program, abbreviated to C2C (“cradle to cradle”) Certified for both Green Building products, to be applied in LEED/BREEAM/WELL buildings and spaces, as well as manufacturing products of various types.

How the Cradle to Cradle certification process works

Greenwich is the starting point for embarking on a path towards Cradle to Cradle Certified®, as it allows you to analyse the product you intend to certify, to understand the added value that this certification can provide to the product itself with a view to continuous improvement, thanks to the various levels of certification that can be achieved.

Greenwich has decades of experience throughout the supply chain to gather information relating to the product’s production stages, advising and supporting its customers in the most suitable route.

With the support of a qualified and C2CPII-recognised Assessor Body, in operational partnership with Greenwich, our company provides full support for Cradle-to-Cradle certification.

The pathway to Cradle-to-Cradle certification

The steps leading to the certification can be summarised in the following points:

• Greenwich’s operational activity with the Assessor Body to examine and assess the product’s bill of materials and to understand compliance with the minimum requirements of certification, through:

1. the identification of the qualified Assessor Body and agreement with the customer on the auditing process;
2. an initial orientation analysis to determine whether the product falls within the scope of the certification;
3. the comparison of the materials used with the list of banned chemicals (also indirectly used).

• Greenwich analyses the product under review against the standards required for certification according to the following steps:

1. internal coordination with the company and suppliers for the gathering of data and all the documentation necessary for the audits required by the certification;
2. operational support in terms of data examination with the qualified Assessor Body;
3. joint assessment of the data against the required product standards;
4. continuous collaboration to assess the best strategies for optimising results.

• The Assessor Body prepares the summary report to be submitted to the Cradle-to-Cradle certification institute for final review and certification.

1. The qualified assessor body, supported by a Material Health Assessor, performs audit activities.
2. The certification institute provides for an independent audit of the assessment and issues the certification.

Greenwich works with its customers to continuously improve the environmental performance of its products.

• Every two years, Greenwich shall update the information reported during the certification stage, to assess possible improvements in the certificate level for maintenance and shall submit it to the Assessor Body;
• Assessment of data and progress in optimisation strategies for continuous improvement.

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