Pioneering sustainability with Cradle to Cradle® certification

In our efforts to align our company toward creating better, more sustainable products, we at KLEIN are excited to announce our first bronze-level cradle to cradle certification for our award-winning Nature line and aluminum systems. This certification, achieved through our partnership with the cradle-to-cradle innovation institute, speaks volumes about our dedication to innovating better, more sustainable products for designers and architects across the globe.

Cradle-to-Cradle is the foremost global certification standard geared toward sustainable products. Its criteria has been rigorously developed to encompass sustainability considerations beyond carbon footprint, toward environmental and social stewardship. The cradle-to-cradle product certification system provides an actionable pathway for product manufacturers to advance the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). The certification process ensures that products are not only manufactured in a responsible manner towards the environment but also with consideration of the people involved in the process.

Cradle-to-Cradle is the foremost global certification standard geared toward sustainable products. Its criteria has been rigorously developed to encompass sustainability considerations beyond carbon footprint, toward environmental and social stewardship. The cradle-to-cradle product certification system provides an actionable pathway for product manufacturers to advance the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). The certification process ensures that products are not only manufactured in a responsible manner towards the environment but also with consideration of the people involved in the process.

HOW ARE CRADLE-TO-CRADLE PRODUCTS RATED?

To achieve c2c certification, a product is assessed across its lifecycle for Material Health, Material Reutilization, Renewable Energy & Carbon Management, Water Stewardship, and Social Fairness. It receives a rating of basic, bronze, silver, gold, or platinum, similar to the LEED certification system.

For designers and architects who are striving to choose mindful materials for their projects, this is excellent news. Through the cradle-to-cradle system, they can more easily find products that adhere to a high standard of sustainability criteria, with an easy to follow rating systems.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR KLEIN?

KLEIN’s aluminum metal systems, as well as the recently-debuted NATURE line, were successfully able to achieve bronze level cradle-to-cradle certification, making these products one of the most sustainable sliding door systems available on the market. Thanks to our partnership with the cradle-to-cradle institute, we can continue innovating and supporting global efforts to create more sustainable materials and manufacturing processes for a greener future.

In a world facing a climate crisis, the demand for more sustainable products is steadily rising. But because the standards and definitions concerning “sustainability” are still being developed across industries, architects and designers looking to incorporate sustainable materials in their work are at high risk of greenwashing.

Certification systems like cradle-to-cradle aim to counter that by developing clear and accessible criteria for sustainable products. By looking for materials with an accredited certification, designers and architects have an extra layer of assurance that the materials have undergone a thorough review by a qualified third party.