With so many certifications out there, shopping for anything these days can be confusing. Even if you want to do right by the planet, it can be a little unclear what to look for when you’re building a sustainable wardrobe. From fibres to manufacturing processes, there’s a lot to consider, but don’t worry. We’re here to help and point you in the right direction. One certification we recommend you keep an eye out for is Cradle to Cradle.
We recently launched our new Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Collection and we’re exploring what it means when clothes have this planet-friendly certification and why you’ll be seeing a lot more of it as sustainable practices take over the fashion industry.
Featured: Women’s C2C Hoodie
What does Cradle to Cradle mean?
Cradle to Cradle is a set of nature-inspired design principles that were developed in the 1990s. Natural and organic material has the ability to return back to the earth where it can then nourish and regenerate new life. This certification draws inspiration from this system, and sets out a production process where products and materials can cycle in a circular fashion.
In this circular loop, products are designed to stay in use for as long as possible before either biodegrading naturally back to the earth or being fully recycled into high-quality materials for future products. This circular system minimizes waste, harm to the planet and leaves a positive ecological footprint by regenerating resources instead of depleting them.
While this sounds ideal and perfectly aligned with making our world more sustainable, we’re doing the exact opposite when we look at the fashion industry. The fashion industry produces clothing in a linear model as opposed to a circular one. Clothes are designed to end up in landfills once we’re done with them. Along the way, natural resources are exhausted and materials can’t be re-used or biodegraded after use. As a result, millions of tonnes of clothes are produced, worn, and thrown away each year. Every second, the equivalent of a truckload of clothes is burnt or buried in landfills.
It’s no surprise that fashion is one of the worst polluting industries and a major driver of climate change. As consumers like you are realizing this and demanding more sustainable options, the fashion industry is starting to move towards a more circular model of production based on the Cradle to Cradle design. When you see this certification, you can shop knowing the clothes were designed to skip the landfill and positively impact both you and the planet.
Getting C2C Certified™
Everything from construction materials to makeup and clothing can obtain the C2C stamp of approval. When it comes to getting certified, the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard assesses the safety, circularity, and responsibility of the materials and final products across five categories of sustainability performance.
- Material Health: ensuring materials are safe for humans and the environment
- Product Circularity: enabling a circular economy through regenerative products and process design
- Clean Air & Climate Protection: protecting clean air, promoting renewable energy, and reducing harmful emissions
- Water & Soil Stewardship: safeguarding clean water and healthy soils
- Social Fairness: respecting human rights and contributing to a fair and equitable society
The C2C Certified Products Program recognizes five levels of product certification: Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. In order to be certified at a certain level, a product must meet the minimum criteria for that level in all five criteria categories. This is no easy task, as the criteria in each category become increasingly demanding with each level of certification.
When it comes to our newest collection, we’re proud to be C2C level gold, and it’s our goal to reach platinum in the years to come. Our Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Collection is made with Fairtrade certified 100% organic cotton for a safer and more comfortable wear. And most importantly, all these pieces can safely go back to the earth once you’re finished loving them.
Helping Create A More Sustainable Future
With such rigorous parameters for product sustainability — from ingredient material through to material reuse at the end of a product’s useful life — the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard also provides a meaningful framework for addressing many UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs). You might recognize these goals as we address many of them through our planting initiatives. These 17 interlocked global goals are a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all” and are kept top of mind at every level of operation at tentree.
It’s our goal to reach total circularity by 2025 and this Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Collection is an important first step in achieving this. Shop this anything but basic collection and know you’re making a sustainable stand for the planet and planting ten trees while you’re at it.
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By planting ten trees for every item you purchase, it’s our mission to plant 1 billion trees by 2030. Head to our website to learn more and begin your planting journey with 10% off.
