Cradle-to-Cradle design is a sustainability framework in which products are conceived so that all materials become safe nutrients for biological or technical cycles, eliminating the concept of waste. It emphasises material health, reuse, renewable energy, and closed-loop recovery rather than the linear take-make-dispose model. It is a foundational design philosophy within the circular economy.
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- The framework, formalised by McDonough and Braungart, evaluates products across material health, reutilisation, renewable energy use, water stewardship, and social fairness. Certification tiers incentivise manufacturers to redesign supply chains so that components can be disassembled and recovered without downcycling or contamination.