CFE Group
Client
Belgium, Europe
Brussels' ZIN Project: The European benchmark for circularity in construction
Sustenuto supported Acosorb in the recertification of Acospray under the Cradle to Cradle Certified® (C2C) standard, helping the company achieve full-scope Bronze certification in nine months. The project highlights Acosorb’s strong circular product concept and demonstrates how expert guidance, a structured process, and close collaboration can turn sustainability ambition into a verified certification result.
A strong product with a clear ambition
Acosorb produces Acospray, an innovative acoustic spray applied to ceilings and walls. Acospray is as functional as it is circular, combining acoustic performance, design flexibility, and a material concept rooted in resource efficiency. Its main ingredient is cellulose derived from recycled paper, giving this material an entirely new purpose and life.
When Acosorb set out to renew and expand its Cradle to Cradle Certified® status, the company turned to Sustenuto, its trusted partner from previous certification cycles. Over the course of nine months, Sustenuto guided Acosorb through the certification process and helped transform a strong sustainability proposition into a full Bronze-level achievement.
The Challenge behind certification
Acospray already brings together strong acoustic performance and a clear circular material concept. As a product developed for long-term use in the built environment, it reflects Acosorb’s ambition to combine technical quality with credible sustainability. However, achieving and expanding Cradle to Cradle certification remains a demanding task. Full-scope certification requires progress across five categories: Material Health, Product Circularity, Clean Air & Climate Protection, Water & Soil Stewardship, and Social Fairness.
For Acosorb, the challenge was not only to comply with the standard from a technical perspective, but also to organise documentation, evidence, and stakeholder coordination in a way that kept the process efficient and controllable. This required aligning multiple inputs, preparing decision-ready information, and sustaining momentum over the entire project duration. In this context, specialised guidance and a clearly structured roadmap were critical to achieving a robust and credible certification result.
Our Approach
Sustenuto took on the role of general assessor throughout the project, guiding Acosorb through every stage of the certification journey. This included explaining requirements, translating certification criteria into practical actions, supporting data collection, reviewing documentation, and helping ensure that all relevant steps were completed in a clear and timely manner.
To manage scope and maintain momentum, Sustenuto proposed a phased approach:
Phase 1: Focused certificates first
Rather than addressing all five C2C categories at once, Sustenuto first steered the process toward the Material Health Certificate and the Circularity Certificate. These focused certificate types allowed Acosorb to build on the strongest elements of Acospray’s sustainability profile and achieve early progress, creating confidence and a solid foundation for the next stage.
Phase 2: Expanding to full Bronze scope
With this foundation in place, Sustenuto supported Acosorb in addressing the remaining categories — Clean Air & Climate Protection, Water & Soil Stewardship, and Social Fairness — and in consolidating all documentation and evidence required for full-scope Bronze certification.
Throughout both phases, Sustenuto acted as the central coordination point, bringing structure to the process and helping Acosorb move efficiently through a complex certification pathway. This professional guidance enabled Acosorb to stay focused on its business while progressing steadily toward recertification.
The Results
After nine months of structured collaboration, Acosorb achieved full-scope C2C Certified Bronze recertification for Acospray. The result strengthens Acosorb’s position as a professional and forward-looking provider of circular acoustic solutions and provides a stronger basis for communication with architects, planners, contractors, and building owners.
Three aspects of the certified Acospray stand out:
A product built on circular thinking
The acoustic spray is made primarily from cellulose sourced from recycled paper. Through smart product design, Acosorb gives this material a new identity and purpose. This is circularity by design, not as an afterthought, and it reinforces Acosorb’s role as a company developing practical solutions for more sustainable interiors.
A retrieval and recycling concept that goes the distance
Acosorb recognises that a product’s circularity does not end at the company gate. For a product permanently installed in buildings with a lifespan of several decades, end-of-life is often overlooked. Acosorb’s answer is a proactive retrieval concept: the material is collected after use, transported for specialist recycling, and mechanically processed for reuse. In this way, circularity becomes a practical and credible part of the customer value proposition.
A professionally guided certification process
One of the key takeaways from this project is the value of experienced certification support. Sustenuto helped Acosorb turn a complex multi-step process into a clear and achievable roadmap, providing the structure and expertise needed to reach full Bronze certification within nine months. At the same time, the project demonstrates Acosorb’s ability to translate product quality and circular ambition into an independently recognised market advantage.
With the C2C recertification achieved and a strong collaborative foundation in place, Acosorb is well-positioned to continue raising the bar on circular products and to strengthen its profile as a trusted partner for sustainable acoustic solutions, while Sustenuto once again demonstrates the value of expert-led support in bringing certification ambitions to life.
Why the partnership matters
This case shows that certification success depends on more than product quality alone. Acosorb brought a compelling circular product, clear ambition, and commitment to continuous improvement. Sustenuto brought the certification know-how, process structure, and guidance needed to turn that ambition into an achieved Bronze certification within a focused nine-month timeline.
The result is a partnership story with value for both sides: Acosorb strengthens its professional market position, while Sustenuto demonstrates how expert-led certification support can help companies achieve demanding sustainability goals with clarity, speed, and confidence.
