Circular Economy & Cradle to Cradle®: Principles and Origins in Europe
The circular economy emerged in the late 20th century as an alternative to the traditional “take–make–waste” model. Inspired by natural ecosystems, it is built on three core principles:
designing out waste and pollution,
keeping products and materials in use,
regenerating natural systems.
In practice, this means focusing on durability, reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling. Materials are no longer treated as finite resources to be discarded, but as valuable assets that circulate in two loops: biological cycles (safely returning to nature) and technical cycles (recovered and reused at high value).
These cycles are directly inspired by Cradle to Cradle® principles and were later visualized in the well-known butterfly diagram by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. This diagram is central to the circular economy, which emphasizes closing loops and preserving economic value.
Cradle to Cradle® (C2C): Vision and Principles
Cradle to Cradle® is a foundational framework that supports circular economy, but it starts from a fundamentally different premise: ‘the good’. This means materials must first be proven safe for biological and technical cycles. Only once this is ensured does circularity come into play.
C2C views materials as nutrients circulating in closed systems. It is a holistic approach that addresses both the what and the how of products:
What: Are the materials safe and suitable for biological or technical cycles?
How: How are the products made — considering energy use, water stewardship, social fairness, and more?
This multi-attribute approach is central to C2C and distinguishes it from the circular economy, which primarily focuses on retaining economic value.
Cradle to Cradle® History: From Hannover Principles to Global Adoption
The concept of Cradle to Cradle® was developed by William McDonough (architect) and Michael Braungart (chemist). Their collaboration began in the early 1990s after meeting in New York City. They connected over shared concerns about toxicity and product design, which led to the publication of the Hannover Principles for the 2000 World Expo and the founding of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry in 1995.
Their book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things brought international recognition to the framework and inspired thousands of companies to embed sustainability and circularity into their products. For a deeper dive into these principles, watch the video by William McDonough on Cradle to Cradle.
Cradle to Cradle Certified® vs. Circular Economy: Key Differences
The circular economy is an economic model focused on keeping materials and products in circulation while maximizing their economic value.
Cradle to Cradle® is a vision and set of principles that use intentional product design to create items that are “good for the planet and good for people.”
The Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard translates these principles into practice. It is a globally recognized certification framework that helps companies design products for safe, circular, and responsible use from the outset.
Read C2C Explained Series 2 - Understand the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standards to discover how your organization can leverage Cradle to Cradle® principles to improve your product.
This multi-attribute standard is used globally across industries by designers, brands and manufacturers to design and make products that are good for people and for the planet.
Cradle to Cradle
Products Innovation Institute
Sustenuto & Cradle to Cradle® Certification in Europe: A Regional Pioneer
In 2008, Sustenuto launched the C2C Platform to promote Cradle to Cradle® certification across Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. While C2C was already known in Germany and the United States, the platform made certification accessible to Dutch and French-speaking markets for the first time.
Since June 2023, the C2C Platform has been fully integrated into Sustenuto.
We are proud to be a recognized independent Cradle to Cradle Certified® assessment body, selected by the Institute based on the experience, qualifications, and training of our team. Since then, we have conducted +150 assessments for Cradle to Cradle Certified®.
We support companies worldwide in achieving certification and have experience across a wide range of product categories — from consumer goods and textiles to electronics and construction materials. We also coach companies on defining and implementing category-specific requirements.
Together with our clients, we ensure the creation of safe, circular, and responsible products that contribute to a healthy, equitable, and sustainable future.
View our service offering on Cradle to Cradle Certified®
Explore the Benefits of Cradle to Cradle® Certification:
Continue your learning about the standard in our next insight:
C2C Explained Series 2 - Understand the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product StandardsLearn more about the requirements and benefits here:
C2C Explained Series 3 – Navigate the Eligibility & Certification ProcessSee our work in action:
Cradle to Cradle Certified Case studies