In Series 2, we learned about the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard and its categories and levels. Now, Series 3 will walk you through how to get a product certified.
Explore all benefits of Cradle to Cradle® Certification:
C2C Explained Series 1 – Discover the Origins of Cradle to Cradle® & the Circular Economy
C2C Explained Series 2 - Understand the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standards
C2C Explained Series 3 – Navigate the Eligibility & Certification Process
Read our case studies & see us in action:
Cradle to Cradle Certified Case studies
How to get a product Cradle to Cradle Certified®?
It is important to note that with Cradle to Cradle Certified®, you don’t have to certify every single product one by one. Through product grouping, similar products that share materials, suppliers, and production processes can be certified together. This approach reduces time, effort, and costs while still meeting the rigorous requirements of the standard. It’s an efficient way to scale certification across your portfolio, accelerate market impact, and showcase a broader range of products under the trusted C2C Certified® mark.
A step-by-step process to certification
If your company is considering Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification for one or more of your products, this guide explains the main steps of the certification process in clear terms:
Step 1: Is Your Product Eligible? – Determining if your product can be C2C Certified®.
Step 2: Assessment of Product and Production Process – Gathering all required data on your product and manufacturing process (covering the five C2C categories).
Step 3: Building the Compliance Report – Compiling the findings into an official report for final review.
Step 4: Receiving Your Certificate – The institute issues the certificate, valid for three years and listed on your product(s) listed on the C2CPII product registry.
Step 5: Leveraging Your Certification – Highlighting your achievements in marketing, leveraging your C2C efforts and continue to improve your sustainability performance.
Along the way, we’ll clarify the roles of your company, Sustenuto (acting as your accredited assessor), and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII), the party that owns the program, develops the standard and issues the certificates. We’ll also give tips on how to make the most of your certification once you have it.
This process is aligned with the principles and procedures defined in ISO 14020 and 14024. It is a voluntary, third-party certification that identifies products designed for a safe, circular, and responsible economy, recognizing achievements across multiple sustainability categories based on life cycle thinking.
Step 1: Is Your Product Eligible?
Before investing time and resources, the first step in the Cradle to Cradle Certification process is to confirm that your product is eligible for C2C Certified® Products Program. Checking your product's eligibility requires four reflections:
Is my product(s) type eligible for C2C Certified®?
Does my product(s) contain restricted substances?
Is my product(s) eligible for bronze or silver level?
Is my company committed to continuous improvement and product optimization over time?
1. Is my product(s) type eligible for C2C Certified®?
To answer the first question; is my product eligible for certification? The good news is that most tangible products (whether materials, components, or finished goods) can be certified. Most companies will find that their products, from apparel to electronics to packaging to furniture, etc., are eligible. C2C certification is intentionally broad, covering materials and products across industries.
However, the standard does exclude certain product types that don’t fit its scope or intent. According to the official eligibility criteria, the following are not eligible for C2C certification:
Food, beverages, and ingestible products: Anything meant to be eaten or drank is excluded (since C2C is a product manufacturing standard, not a food safety program).
Pharmaceuticals: This includes medicines and any products making pharmaceutical-like claims.
Medical devices requiring special biocompatibility testing: If a product needs medical-grade biocompatibility tests beyond the C2C Material Health methodology, it’s outside the scope.
Products containing live organisms: For example, plants, seeds, or anything with live microbes or animals.
Fuels intended for combustion: Any product that is burned as a fuel (releasing emissions by design) is not eligible.
Buildings: Whole buildings cannot be C2C certified (though building materials can be and C2C certified products may receive credit in building certification schemes like BREEAM or WELL).
Products against C2C principles: This catches things like weapons or tobacco products, which fundamentally contradict the ethos of “good for people and planet.”
See Section 2 of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard (Full Scope) User Guidance to determine eligibility.
If your product(s) falls into one of these categories, C2C certification is unfortunately not applicable. Otherwise, you’re likely good to proceed to the second step to determine eligibility.
2. Does my product(s) contain restricted substances?
Before investing time and resources into the Cradle to Cradle Certified® process, it’s essential to review your product’s basic Material Health (MH) compliance requirements.
For a list of the restricted substances at entry-level (bronze) with the applicable thresholds, you can review section 4 of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard (Full Scope) and the Restricted Substances list reference document.
Why is this important? Because discovering late in the process that your main materials include restricted substances — such as lead or asbestos — could make certification impossible and result in wasted efforts.
If any of the materials listed in the restricted substances sections cannot be replaced, your product will not be eligible for certification. Identifying this early helps you:
Avoid unnecessary costs and delays
Assess alternative materials before moving forward
Streamline your certification journey with clear next steps
Tip: If you have a complex product line, you may choose to certify a subset of products or even specific components first, then expand later. Also note that you can certify a material or sub-assembly that you sell to others, not just finished consumer products.
3. Is my product(s) eligible for bronze or silver level?
Not all products are eligible for entry-level recognition under the Cradle to Cradle Certified® framework. To safeguard human health and ensure true circularity, certain product types must meet higher requirements from the outset. Children’s products, cosmetics, and personal care items must achieve at least the Silver level in Material Health, while single-use plastics and plastic packaging must meet Gold or Platinum in Product Circularity (with limited exceptions for refill/reuse systems). These requirements reflect the program’s intent to address substances and product types that pose elevated risks to people and the environment.
Children’s products, cosmetics, and personal care products are not eligible for certification at the Bronze achievement level in the Material Health category (i.e., they must meet the Silver achievement level requirements or higher in Material Health). The intent is to ensure they do not contain carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxicants (CMRs); persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances (PBTs); very persistent and very bioaccumulative substances (vPvBs); or substances that cause an equivalent level of concern.
Eligible single-use plastic products and plastic packaging products (when certified as a separate product) are not eligible for certification at the Bronze or Silver achievement level in the Product Circularity category (i.e., they must meet the Gold or Platinum achievement level requirements in Product Circularity). The intent is to ensure alignment with the Cradle to Cradle principles for these typically noncircular product types. An exemption is made for plastic packaging that is part of a refill/reuse system (e.g., soap refill pouches), which may be certified at any achievement level in the Product Circularity category.
4. Is my company committed to continuous improvement and product optimisation over time?
Cradle to Cradle Certified® is not a one-time label but a framework for ongoing progress. Before starting certification, it’s essential that companies embrace a commitment to continuous improvement and product optimization. The standard is designed to encourage step-by-step advancement across material health, circularity, clean air and climate, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. Without a willingness to optimize products over time, certification loses its value as a driver of innovation and impact.
Once you’ve determined your product can be certified, it’s time to engage in the actual assessment process. If your company is unsure if your product is eligible for certification, Sustenuto can help you with a feasibility study. Contact us for more information.
Step 2: Assessment of Your Product and Production
This step is the core effort: collecting data and evaluating your product(s) against the C2C Certified® criteria. You must work with a recognised assessor (like Sustenuto) with the knowledge and experience to guide your company through the assessment. Here’s what happens in this phase:
Data collection
When preparing for Cradle to Cradle Certified® certification, the first step is gathering complete and accurate information about your product and its production process. We guide you through this process to make sure all data requirements are met across the five sustainability categories of the C2C Certified® Standard:
Material Health: An important requirement is to obtain the full chemical and/or material composition of your product(s) to ensure the use of safe and healthy substances. This includes breaking down every ingredient to 100 ppm, going beyond Safety Data Sheets for mixtures by collecting material data from suppliers. We help you in collecting the right information and support in respecting the supplier’s confidentiality. We collaborate with trusted partners and accredited Material Health Assessors to conduct the material assessment.
Contact us to request the full requirements overview or receive our guidance "Cradle to Cradle Certified® v4.1 Explained - Criteria, Certification Process"Product Circularity: Your product is assessed on its circularity potential and performance. Evidence is needed to confirm recycled vs. virgin content, circular design principles, and availability of circular infrastructure options to make sure products can be actively cycled in their intended cycling pathways. We evaluate if your circular product fits in a circular economy.
Contact us to request the full requirements overview.Clean Air & Climate Protection: We collect data on your production energy use, renewable energy share, greenhouse gas emissions, any air pollutants and your climate strategy. This helps quantify your product’s climate impact and opportunities for improvement.
Contact us to request the full requirements overview.Water & Soil Stewardship: We collect data on your water use and discharge, wastewater treatment, process chemicals, and any strategies to protect soil and water quality. This ensures your operations minimize harmful impacts on the communities and safeguard ecosystems.
Contact us to request the full requirements overview.Social Fairness: Your company and/or final manufacturing location are asked to share policies and measurable performance data on human rights, worker well-being, and supply chain ethics. This includes fair labor conditions, such as no child or forced labor, but also positive social impacts, fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace culture.
Contact us to request the full requirements overview.
The Cradle to Cradle Certified® process works like a 360° sustainability audit for your product. While it’s detailed — involving colleagues from R&D, procurement, sustainability/HS&E, and even your suppliers — the value lies in what we measure. Every step of the product lifecycle is assessed: from material sourcing to end-of-use, and from environmental footprint to social impact. This thorough approach uncovers concrete opportunities to improve performance, reduce risks, and align with global sustainability standards.
Expert Guidance Every Step of the Way
You won’t go through the Cradle to Cradle Certified® process alone. Sustenuto’s C2C experts guide you on what data is required, how to collect it, and how to work with your suppliers. For the complex chemical assessments in Material Health, we collaborate with trusted partners — toxicologists and accredited labs — to evaluate the safety of every substance in your product.
We remain your single point of contact, coordinating between you, your suppliers, and any third-party labs. This ensures efficiency and confidentiality. Sensitive information can be shared directly with Sustenuto or the Material health assessor under non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Read more on how Sustenuto can support your company in respecting supplier confidentiality in the The LYCRA Company case.
Transparent Communication & Actionable Insights
By collecting data, engaging teams, and analyzing every stage of your product’s lifecycle, companies gain valuable insights into how their products are made, where risks or inefficiencies exist, and where opportunities for innovation lie. Sustenuto shares this information transparently as this knowledge not only helps achieve certification but also builds internal capacity, enabling your teams to make smarter, more sustainable decisions long after the process is complete. At Sustenuto, we focus on the learning journey for your company to improve by highlighting findings, gaps, and opportunities. For example:
If a substance in your product received a ‘x-score’ (harmful), we will openly discuss this insight and support in finding safer alternatives.
If your circularity strategy is in an early stage, we recommend practical design or cycling improvements to help you reach at least Bronze-level certification.
By the end of the data collection phase, you’ll have a clear picture of your product’s performance in each of the five C2C Certified® categories, and an indication of the achievement level you can expect.
Timeline & Commitment
Cradle to Cradle Certified® product certification takes commitment and planning. On average, the process for full scope certification takes about 12 months, depending on product complexity, supplier engagement, and data availability. The partial certificates with a reduced scope, Material Health or Circularity Certificate, take around 6 to 9 months.
What can you expect during those months?
A cross-functional team on your side (R&D, procurement, quality, sustainability), making it a true learning opportunity
Coordination with suppliers to ensure complete and accurate information, getting detailed insight into your supply chain.
A site visit to verify data and processes.
Site visit
As part of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® process, an on-site audit is carried out at the final manufacturing facility (company-owned or a supplier’s site). During this visit, the assessor verifies that reported data matches reality — from the ingredients and process chemicals being used to the environmental and social practices in place. The site visit adds an extra layer of credibility and transparency, ensuring that the certification reflects not just paperwork, but actual practices at the final manufacturing location.
By the end of Step 2, we will have a comprehensive understanding of your product’s performance against the C2C criteria. We’ll know which achievement level (Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum) each category is tracking toward, and what, if any, last adjustments might be needed before documentation. Now it’s time to compile everything for a final review.
Step 3: Building the Compliance Report
Once the data collection and analysis is complete, the next step is to compile the Certification Report. Essentially, the evidence of your product’s sustainability performance. In C2C terms, this is called the Assessment Report. Here’s what happens:
Compilation of findings
Once all data is collected, Sustenuto organizes the findings into a clear, structured product compliance report. The report is divided into the five Cradle to Cradle Certified® categories, showing exactly how your product performs at the targeted achievement level. This structure ensures transparency and helps the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) quickly see how your product meets the criteria.
Supporting documentation
To back up the report, we include all supporting evidence: supplier declarations, test reports, policy documents, audit results, and (if available) lifecycle assessments. This complete package shows C2CPII not only what was claimed, but also the proof behind it.
Internal review
Before sending it off, we’ll review everything with you to ensure accuracy and completeness. This is effectively a verification. If we find something minor that needs clarification (say, a missing piece of data from a supplier), we’ll resolve it at this stage. This double-review process is what gives the C2C Certified program its rigor and credibility. It’s not just one person’s judgment, but also a quality control.
Submission
The C2C Certified® assessment report is then submitted to the Institute for the last step for approval. Now, the focus shifts to the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, which acts as the certifying authority.
It’s worth noting that Step 3 is largely the assessor’s responsibility. Your involvement here is mainly to review and approve the content and to celebrate reaching this milestone! At this point, the heavy lifting on your side (data gathering, implementing any needed changes) is done.
Step 4: Receiving Your Certificate
With the product compliance report submitted, we’ve reached the last part of the C2C certification process. After the Institute is satisfied with the report, they make the official certification decision. This includes confirming the final achievement levels in each category and thereby the overall certification level of your product (remember, the overall level is as high as the lowest category level achieved). For example, they might confirm that your product got Silver in Material Health, Gold in Circularity, Silver in others… hence overall Silver. The Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute (C2CPII) issues the Cradle to Cradle Certified® certificate for your product(s).
Product Registry
The Institute will also list your certified product in the C2C Certified Products Registry, an online database of all certified products worldwide. This increases visibility; many architects, designers, and procurement professionals search the registry for products to specify or buy. Sustenuto works with you to ensure the listing details are correct. Typically it includes your product name, company, certification level, and a brief description.
Certificate validity
It’s important to note that a C2C certificate is valid for a limited time. Under the current Version 4 of the standard, certifications are valid for three years (previous versions were two years). This means after three years, you’ll need to recertify if you want to continue using the mark. The recertification will require demonstrating improvements (or at least maintained performance). We highlight this now because achieving initial certification is not the finish line. It provides you a roadmap for improving your product’s sustainability performance and innovate. That’s where the real long-term value begins.
Optimization report
To help you improve your performance, Sustenuto will provide you with an optimization report after issuance of the certificate. An optimization report outlines the key findings from your Cradle to Cradle Certified® assessment and highlights practical opportunities to improve your product’s performance in each category. It serves as a roadmap for moving from your current certification level to higher levels, guiding continuous improvement and long-term sustainability gains.
Cradle to Cradle Certified® product certification
At this stage, your product has officially achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified® product certification. This recognition is the result of your commitment to sustainable product design, responsible sourcing, and compliance with rigorous C2C certification requirements.
But certification is just the beginning. Step 5 is the time to maximize the value of your C2C Certified® product by showcasing your achievement in the market, strengthening your sustainability story, and preparing for the next steps in recertification and continuous product optimization.
Step 5: Leveraging Your Certification
The result? Not just certification, but a clear roadmap to make your products safer, more circular, and more competitive. By turning data into action, we help you build a stronger sustainability story that resonates with customers, partners, and regulators worldwide.
Earning a Cradle to Cradle Certified® award is a big achievement – now it’s time to make the most of it. In this final step, the focus is on two things: (a) incorporating the certification into your marketing and stakeholder communications, and (b) planning improvements for recertification.
Marketing and communication
Along with the certificate, you are granted the rights to use the Cradle to Cradle Certified® mark (logo) in association with that product. To help showcase your certified product and share this accomplishment, the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has created an overview with trademark use requirements for use in labeling, marketing, and communications. You’ll find requirements and examples for properly using all Cradle to Cradle Certified® wordmarks, logos, and other brand assets. These requirements ensure consistent and coherent promotion of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® brand, building trust and enhancing its recognition worldwide.
To support accurate and effective communication, C2CPII offers two additional guidance documents: the Communication Guidance and the Green Claims Guidance.
The Communication Guidance is designed to help you communicate specific general, product or process achievements about your certified products for each achievement level in every category of Cradle to Cradle Certified® and to use consumer-friendly language to meet market demands.
The Green Claims Guidance outlines how to make credible environmental claims in line with the EU Green Claims Directive. It helps certification holders avoid greenwashing and includes examples of acceptable claims, country-specific guidance, and how Cradle to Cradle Certified® supports regulatory compliance.
Leveraging the certification in sales
Cradle to Cradle Certified® is recognized as a preferred product certification by various leading organizations and sustainability standards. Many businesses use C2C certified® to access new markets or clients. For example, if you sell building products, architects aiming for green building credits (like LEED or BREEAM) may prefer C2C certified® options. Or wondering where you can buy C2C Certified® Products? If you’re in consumer goods, retailers, for example Amazon on its Climate Pledge Friendly sustainable shopping platform, might feature your product in sustainability-focused sections.
Remember, certification can be a selling point not just for external marketing but also for investor relations, employee engagement, and community relations. It demonstrates leadership and commitment, which can bolster your brand value.
Align C2C Certified® efforts with other sustainability initiatives
To develop your sustainable organisation, market circular products, and grow your sustainable brand, you need effective internal and external communications. Besides, Cradle to Cradle Certified® (C2C Certified®) has long been at the forefront of setting rigorous standards for products and materials to enable the transition towards a circular economy. Therefore, we encourage companies to explore alignment of C2C Certified® efforts with other sustainability initiatives within the company.
Read the full insight on how Cradle to Cradle Certified® will help you be better prepared with other sustainability frameworks and the EU Green Deal in our other insights.
Continuous improvement planning
The Cradle to Cradle philosophy is that there is always room to improve. After celebrating your certification, we encourage a debrief to discuss “what’s next.” Typically, your product might have one or two categories that scored lower than others. Those become prime targets for improvement to reach a higher level at recertification time. For example, if you certified at Bronze overall because of a Bronze in Water & Soil Stewardship, we’ll strategize how to get that category to Silver (perhaps by implementing a water recycling system or a new policy) over the next couple of years.
The certification report you received isn’t just an audit; it’s also a roadmap. We provide you with a tailored optimization report that highlights gaps and recommendations. Some companies integrate these into their product development pipeline effectively using C2C criteria as design criteria for product updates or new products.
We remain available to support you during this post-certification period. Whether it’s answering questions about requirement interpretations, connecting you with material suppliers for better options, or reviewing changes you plan to make, we can provide ad-hoc coaching. The idea is to keep the momentum going so that when it’s time to recertify, the process is smoother and your product moves up the ladder.
Final thought on Step 5
Your C2C certification is both an end and a beginning.The end of the initial project and the beginning of a new chapter of sustainability excellence for your product. Leverage it fully: celebrate it, promote it, and build upon it. Certification is a tool to create value, not just a report card to file away.
Conclusion: Leading the Way to Circular Product Innovation
Navigating the Cradle to Cradle Certified® certification process is a journey of transformation. It usually starts with a single question – “Could we get this product C2C certified?” – and ends with a product that has been rigorously evaluated and optimized for safety, circularity, and responsibility. Along the way, your team gains knowledge, your product improves, and your company earns a respected credential that opens doors in a sustainable economy.
Yes, it requires commitment: months of data collection, collaboration with suppliers, and likely some tweaks to your product or processes. But as many C2C-certified companies will attest, the benefits far outweigh the effort. You end up with a product that’s not only better for the planet and people, but often better for your business – through innovation, efficiency, and brand differentiation.
If you’re reading this and considering taking the leap, we encourage you to go for it. Start with an eligibility check, ask us any questions you may have, and let’s create a roadmap together. Even if full certification feels too ambitious right now, you can begin with a Material Health Certificate, Circularity Certificate or focus on one category without certification as a stepwise approach. The important thing is to begin the journey and start to work with Cradle to Cradle Design® principles.
Sustenuto (an official C2C assessment body since 2013) is ready to guide and support you every step of the way, in multiple languages, and with deep expertise in the standard. We’ve helped companies large and small achieve C2C certification, and we’d be excited to help you too.
For more information or support on Cradle to Cradle Certified®, feel free to reach out to the C2C Team Sustenuto. We can provide guidance, answer questions, or prepare a no-obligation proposal to help get your product certified. The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute’s website also offers resources and the official certification manual for detailed requirements.
Explore the Benefits of Cradle to Cradle® Certification:
C2C Explained Series 1 – Discover the Origins of Cradle to Cradle® & the Circular Economy
C2C Explained Series 2 - Understand the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standards
C2C Explained Series 3 – Navigate the Eligibility & Certification Process
Read our case studies & see us in action:
Cradle to Cradle Certified Case studies
