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C2C Certified® Product Standard guides companies towards sustainable product design, offering a clear, science‑based pathway to create goods that are safer, more circular, and more responsibly made.
What is the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Certified® framework?
The Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Certified® framework is one of the world’s most respected systems for evaluating products according to their impact on people and the planet. Unlike traditional sustainability labels that focus mainly on reducing harm, Cradle to Cradle takes a more ambitious approach: it encourages companies to design products that benefit the environment and society. Version 5.0 of the C2C Certified Product Standard represents the most recent update of the C2C Certified Product Standard.
What Makes Cradle to Cradle Unique?
Cradle to Cradle is built on the idea that products should be designed for continuous cycles of use, much like nutrients in nature. Instead of becoming waste, materials are meant to circulate safely and productively. This philosophy is supported by five core categories that define the C2C Certified Standard:
Material Health: Ensuring ingredients are safe for humans and ecosystems.
Product Circularity: Designing products so materials can be reused, recycled, or composted.
Clean Air & Climate Protection: Reducing emissions and supporting climate‑positive strategies.
Water & Soil Stewardship: Managing water and soil resources responsibly.
Social Fairness: Protecting human rights and promoting positive social impact.
What’s New in Version 5.0
Version 5.0 centres more on Product & Production related impacts and less on organisational levers for change, compared to the previous version, Version 4.1. The Product Standard Version 5.0 remains science-based and thus detail oriented, with a very thorough evidence based approach. As a result, as a third party verified certification , it continues to communicate trust to markets: trust that ambitious targets have been met and the evidence to prove it.
Why It Matters
For businesses, Version 5.0 offers a roadmap to future‑ready product design. One that meets rising expectations from regulators, customers, and investors. For consumers, it provides confidence that certified products are made with safer materials, designed for circularity, and produced with respect for people and the environment.
Resources
Find all standards, guidance, methodologies, policies and forms supporting the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program on the resources website:
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard (Full Scope), Version 5.0
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Material Health Standard, Version 5.0
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Circularity Standard, Version 5.0
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Version 4.1 to Version 5.0 Comparison Summary
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Version 3.1 to Version 4.1 to Version 5.0 Comparison Summary
