What is Cradle to Cradle production? 

The 'cradle to cradle' sustainability world is often cited and, according to MKB Service, is even 'the ultimate form of sustainability. But what exactly is cradle-to-cradle? What matters is that the product makes you happy to use it again and again. Or is it much further? We found out.

Cradle to Cradle.

Cradle to Cradle (C2C) is actually a design philosophy created by the German chemist Michael Braungart and the American architect William McDonough. According to them, the principle of 'waste' is actually 'a new raw material'. This means that every raw material and other material used for a product can also be reused. Recycling is often also the case, but what gives C2C an extra dimension is the fact that the raw material can lose value when recycled. So it involves 'up-cycling' (doing something even better or just as well) rather than 'down-cycling' (simply giving a second life to a lesser application).

The biosphere and techno-sphere.

But we are not quite there yet with upcycling products and raw materials. Braungart and McDonough distinguish two cycles in which materials are allowed to move: the biosphere and the technosphere. Actually, the distinction is quite simple: in the biosphere, materials can ultimately biodegrade; they are compostable. For example, think of the straws for drinks as new plastic.

C2C certification.

But how do you recognize that the product you have in your hands is completely Cradle to Cradle? Because there is a special C2C certification. This international standard has five levels: basic, bronze, silver, gold and platinum. If you want to qualify for this, the composition of the material, possibilities for reuse of materials, use of renewable energy, sustainable water management and social justice are taken into account. The C2C logo (a blue and green C in an infinite shape) can be found on toilet paper, solar panels and carpet tiles. Even an entire C&A clothing line received gold C2C certification. A general assessment is not possible alone, because the requirements for certification differ per product. The review itself is not entirely great:

 Source: https://www.voordewereldvanmorgen.nl/duurzame-blogs/wat-is-cradle-to-cradle

Author: Jessie

SUPERDOUGHHOOK.COM is not Cradle to Cradle certified because the costs for the certificate are high and we do not want to pass the costs on to our customers. Our products are made in small batches and would therefore be much more expensive. 

All the water in our factory comes from above, i.e. rainwater. We also recycle this so that it can be reused. We also filter the water for the polishing system. 

Heavy metals and silicon are filtered out before the water is discharged through the sewage treatment plant. All the electricity we use in our factory comes from solar cells that were installed on the roof of our factory and adjacent buildings in 2022. As a result, we give back more than 90% to other users and use no more than 10% for making our dough hooks, machines and other parts.

Yet we work according to the Cradle to Cradle principle because we believe this is environmentally friendly. For more information about C2C, see Wikipedia or above.

If you have any comments or ideas about how it can be environmentally friendly, we would like to hear from you via our contact form.

best regards.Jan de Jong