CRADLE TO CRADLE INSTITUTE GRANTED FUNDING BY DUTCH POSTCODE LOTTERY

"Perhaps this is the moment in history when we realise that if today's tragedies and unintended consequences are perpetuated by our everyday acts, then our cultures have a strategy of tragedy. Only by adopting principled strategies of change will human enterprise have a new and enduring strategy of hope."

William McDonough

William McDonough and Michael Braungart

At the annual Postcode Lottery Gala on February 9th, it was announced that the Cradle to Cradle Institute will receive a one-time funding of EUR 2.000.000 from the Dutch Postcode Lottery. The goal of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is to lead a global transformation of the way we make things. It has been 20 years since founders William McDonough and Michael Braungart first began their conversations about the flaws and potentials of modern industry; It has been ten years since the publication of their landmark book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things;

The funding will be used for a special Global Expansion Program designed to dramatically speed worldwide adoption of Cradle to Cradle (C2C)® design practice. They aim to open an Institute in The Netherlands to better service Europe. C2C product certification transforms the making of products so these activities are not destructive but are instead beneficial to human and environmental health. C2C certification has five criteria: 

• How safe and healthy are a product's ingredients and chemical processes?
• Can the product or its components be easily reclaimed and reused?
• Does the manufacturing process use renewable power?
• Does the manufacturing process produce clean water? And
• Is a product made and brought to market in a socially fair way — are workers safe, legal, and are they paid a fair "living" wage?

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is an U.S. educational non-profit with its headquarters in San Francisco, California. The founding of the Institute was made possible by DOEN Foundation. In May of 2008, William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart announced their intention to transfer their proprietary intellectual property for product certification into the public domain, thus giving the Institute the means and mission to exponentially increase the number of product manufacturers and designers who understand and implement C2C certification concepts so they make safe and healthy products for our world.

"Our organization feels so honored to be recognized by the Postcode Lottery and to be included with such an outstanding group of truly inspiring organizations. It is especially exciting to be able to leverage and promote the wonderful Cradle to Cradle® leadership stories that the Netherlands has for the world."

Bridgett Luther, President Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute

PS: We were very honoured to have Cradle to Cradle Founder William McDonough in the jury of the 2011 Postcode Lottery Green Challenge. If you haven't seen it yet, please have a look at his inspiring keynote here: