About this category

The Cradle to Cradle® material health category focuses on all the material components in a product and addresses the elements that need to be evaluated. It’s crucial that material properties are known, and the metabolic pathway identified, either as a technical nutrient or as a biological nutrient for the product and its components.

Biological cycle – The cycle by which materials or parts are released into the environment via composting, biodegradation, nutrient extraction, and/or other biological metabolic pathways.

Technical cycle – The cycle by which a product’s materials or parts are reprocessed for a new product use cycle via recycling, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, or reuse.

Another requirement is knowing if any ‘banned list’ chemicals are present in the product. This is because Cradle to Cradle® material health requires products to be free of harmful chemicals and only contain substances that are safe for both people and the environment. Therefore, a phase-out or optimization strategy for removing hazardous materials must be developed.

Understanding the material health of your products allows all the supply chain actors to take into account the impact of manufactured goods at each stage of the life cycle, from production, to use, consumption and disposal. In order to comply with the material health standards, manufacturers must disclose information about product ingredients, avoid chemicals of concern, and commit to continue making improvements in their materials.

About this category

The circular product design category refers to products being intentionally designed for several reuse opportunities. Garments should be able to be actively recycled into a new product and fit into either a biological or technical cycling pathway. By applying calculated design decisions, the materials, once at the end of its use phase, will retain their value and move through multiple cycles of use.

Product manufacturers must demonstrate their commitment to a circular product design to increase product and material recycling rates and/or better quality materials for recycling. Designers should be using more circular or renewable materials, helping to close the loop and advance the circular economy. This should increase demand for circularly-sourced materials and consequently, reduce the negative impacts of virgin materials. For example, If the product is designed for easy disassembly, it is more likely that a large amount of the materials in the product will be recycled.

Lastly, circularity information for proper end-of-use handling of the product should be available, increasing the likelihood that the product’s materials will be actively recovered and processed for the next cycle of use. This can come in the form of a digital product passport allowing the traceability of a garment.

About this category

This category focuses on using renewable energies and addressing greenhouse gas emissions. Product manufacturing has a significant impact on air quality, so best practice air emission protocols should be followed during the final stages of production.

During the final manufacturing stage, electricity use and greenhouse gas emissions from the product must also be quantified and verified. This means a specific number can be measured and used to help identify areas for improvement.

To comply with the requirements in this category, renewable energy targets have to be set, and align with the international climate goals. Therefore, providing the opportunity to increase the amount of renewable energy used to manufacture products and reduce the offset of greenhouse gasses.

The transition to clean, renewable energy sources will have a positive impact on air quality since burning fuels is the primary contributor. Consequently, this will lead to stronger renewable energy usage and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change.

About this category

In the EU, the consumption of textiles, most of which are imported, now accounts on average for the fourth-highest negative impact on the environment and on climate change and the third-highest for water and land use from a global life cycle perspective. (EUR-Lex, 2022)

The water stewardship and soil category focuses on treating water as a precious resource and ensuring clean water is available to people and all other organisms. Improving wastewater quality and using water more efficiently therefor play a vital role in this category. In order to accomplish this, it is important to address water quality and quantity issues where they occur. This is whether they originate at final production facilities or in the supply chain.

In order to identify opportunities for improvement, water discharges and consumption associated with a product’s manufacturing should be measured and quantified. Water and soil stewardship strategies must be developed, providing a roadmap to operate in a manner that protects water and soil.

In addition, manufacturers and suppliers are required to provide drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene to all employees. A major key to addressing water-related challenges is to encourage collaboration, for example, through participating in collective projects.

EUR-Lex – 52022DC0141 – EN – EUR-Lex. (2022, March 30). Environment.Ec.Europa.

About this category

Social fairness refers to promoting social justice and good working conditions for employees. Manufacturers are committed to upholding human rights and applying responsible business practices to all stakeholders. During production, the use phase, and the disposal of products, businesses should consider the wellbeing of their employees. Social principles should be implemented, such as fair living wages and improved living conditions for employees.

As well, human rights risks must be monitored and opportunities for improvement identified throughout all stages of manufacturing. Performance in upholding human rights must also be monitored and there must be high levels of assurance that risks to human rights are addressed.

Businesses must foster a culture of social justice and the use of responsible business practices that respect human rights and improve business practices for all stakeholders. It should be possible for employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders to safely report concerns related to social justice and fairness.