Practical pathways

to create a circular

world of good

What next for your product?

This workflow determines your product's possible circular pathway and tests its viability against C2C Certified Material Health requirements.

Part 1: Product Function & Intention

Q1. Is the product designed to be durable and reused repeatedly?

Q2. Can your product be easily returned to the manufacturer or a collection point for disassembly, reuse or recycling after its first use?

Q3. Does the product or its packaging inevitably mix with food, organic waste, or soil during its use or disposal?

Q4. Is the product designed to have a short, single-use life?

Part 2: The Material Health Audit

Q5. Chemical Disclosure: Can you currently list ALL chemical ingredients in the product (including glues, dyes, and coatings) down to **100 parts per million (ppm)**?

(The C2C framework requires this full, detailed chemical inventory for screening.)

Part 2: The Material Health Audit

Q6. **Toxicity Check:** Based on your current knowledge, do your materials contain any known persistent toxins (e.g., PFAS, Phthalates, or heavy metals) that are on the REACH or C2C **Restricted Substances List**?

(If unsure, answer YES to proceed with a suggested optimisation plan.)

Material Health Status:

C2C Help Centre (Hover for details in UK English)

C2C Design Framework The **Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Design Framework** is a philosophy that mandates products must be designed for continuous circulation in either the Technical or Biological cycle, eliminating the concept of waste entirely.

Material Health This is the first step towards C2C Certified certification. It requires all ingredients (dyes, glues, coatings) are identified and screened down to **100 parts per million (ppm)** to ensure safety.

Biological Nutrient A product designed to be a Biological Nutrient is intended to safely return to the soil and biosphere. It must be **100% compostable and non-toxic** so it becomes "food" for the earth.

Technical Nutrient A product designed to be a Technical Nutrient is a durable asset (like plastic, metal, or glass) intended to be endlessly reused or recycled within circular industrial systems.

Restricted Substances List (RSL) A list of chemicals that are banned or restricted from use in C2C Certified products, including persistent chemicals like **PFAS** (forever chemicals).

C2C Assessor An independent, accredited third-party expert who officially screens your chemical inventory and verifies your product's compliance against the C2C standard. You can hire an assessor to start the process. Ask us for an introduction. We aim to bring you a quick and refined way to get a quote for this work very soon.

The 100 ppm Threshold This is the level of disclosure required for C2C. Listing every chemical above **0.01%** (100 parts per million) ensures you have full visibility into all potential toxins, including hidden additives.

Optimisation Strategy If toxins are found, this is your positive design plan to replace them. The strategy outlines how you will swap harmful chemicals for alternatives to achieve a higher C2C certification level in the future.

C2C Deeper Design Exploration

The C2C framework demands intentional design. Use these advanced questions to guide your engineering team, challenge suppliers, and monetise the value of your chosen circular pathway.

Based on your Material Health quick check, your suggested C2C pathway is the Cycle.

Focus: Technical Nutrient (Products of Service)

Your product is an industrial asset. The goal is maximum asset retention and clean reuse and recycling.

Asset Value Retention: If we disassemble the product after five years, what percentage of the material's original market value can be recovered? This proves the economic viability of the Technical Cycle.
Design for Disassembly: What is the maximum number of tools and the minimum time required to separate all components into pure, single-material material streams? C2C Gold/Platinum requires design for rapid, non-destructive disassembly.
Product-as-a-Service Model: Can we restructure the sale to a 'Product-as-a-Service' model, retaining legal ownership of the material assets? This turns the material into a long-term business asset.
Renewable Energy Commitment: What percentage of the energy used at the final manufacturing site comes from audited, renewable sources? This directly addresses the Embodied Carbon requirement of C2C V4.1/4.2.

Focus: Biological Nutrient (Products of Consumption)

Your product is food for the earth. The goal is verified non-toxicity and rapid, safe return to biological systems.

Purity and Traceability: Where is the most persistent chemical additive in your product found (e.g., the ink, the barrier coating)? Can we trace that source's C2C Material Health status? The weakest chemical link determines the product's overall safety.
Material Biodegradation Speed: What is the product's maximum certified home composting time? Does this verified timeline include the densest part (e.g., the heat seal or glue)? C2C mandates verifiable speed to prevent leakage into the natural system.
Water Effluent Quality: If the product uses water-intensive manufacturing, what is the effluent quality (wastewater) from the final facility? C2C requires documentation that water is returned clean or cleaner than it was taken.
System Integrity Check: Are there any similar-looking, non-compostable products in your portfolio that could cause consumer confusion and system contamination? C2C demands designing out user error for the biological cycle.

AI assisted Supply Chain guidance

Join our INNOVATE UK funded project.

New to C2C Click here to join

Existing C2C Certified manufacturer Click Here to join

Select your ambition levels, share some basic information and let us guide you to a healthy circular future.

540 WORLD offer bespoke B2B solutions to help industry transform to a safe, circular and certified, world of good.

Practical pathways

to create a circular

world of good

What next for your product?

Part 1: Product Function & Intention

Part 2: The Material Health Audit

Part 2: The Material Health Audit

Material Health Status:

C2C Help Centre (Hover for details in UK English)

C2C Deeper Design Exploration

Focus: Technical Nutrient (Products of Service)

Focus: Biological Nutrient (Products of Consumption)

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