Cradle to Cradle NGO
Head Office
Landsberger Allee 99c
10407 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0) 30 4677 4780
E-Mail: info[at]c2c.ngo
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© CRADLE TO CRADLE NGO 2023
The classification into ABCX materials helps to transparently define the quality of product components – always related to the respective usage scenario of the product. A is a material that is best suited for a specifically defined use. B means optimizable, C stands for tolerable and X for non-tolerable. X materials must be replaced by harmless materials. The more A materials a product contains, the higher the product quality.
We humans have caused a lot of damage on earth. So, it is natural to think of ourselves as pests. In the C2C school of thought, however, we are convinced that by setting ourselves positive goals and striving for a positive impact through our actions, we humans can be beneficial for the earth system. However, this requires a shift from our current strategy of being just a little less bad. Leaving a large positive footprint as beneficials instead of just minimizing our negative footprint is the core of the C2C idea.
A substance, material or product is biodegradable if it can be completely broken down into its elemental components in a natural system without producing harmful by-products. This can happen in garden compost, or in an industrial plant. The raw material base of the material is not important, only its chemical structure. Accordingly, synthetically produced materials can also be biodegradable, while there are products made from renewable raw materials to which this does not apply.
This term is used to describe the totality of all habitats of organisms on earth. We humans have also created technical cycles within the biosphere – the technosphere. Products and materials that enter the biosphere must be biodegradable (tire wear, banana peel). All products and materials that are not biodegradable must circulate exclusively in the technosphere (bicycle frame, laptop). Products composed of biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials must be designed and manufactured in such a way that the different materials can be separated without residue and circulate within their respective spheres (bicycle, wood bolted to metal). Products of the biosphere are also ideally designed in such a way that they are used several times in the technical cycle before they are degraded (wood cascade: multiple uses of wood, then used as paper, only then does biodegradation take place).
Contrary to the monotony from cradle to grave, lively and diverse systems of our planet inspire us. One-size-fits-all approaches and simplifications of complex interrelationships do not always provide the appropriate solutions to pressing problems. Biological and cultural diversity can be supported and used wisely through human creativity.
The Cradle to Cradle Certified™ certification, conducted by the non-profit Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII), evaluates various factors and levels of manufacturing, usage and recycling. There are five gradations in certification from Basic to Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, which denotes the highest product standard. The five factors considered are material health, reusability, use of renewable energy and carbon management, water quality, and social standards. There are currently almost 300 C2C companies worldwide with over 8,000 C2C-products.
The C2C school of thought formulates comprehensive quality as one of the goals of an overall societal change. Products are of comprehensive quality if they are produced using regenerative energies for biological and technical cycles. Materials are used that are healthy for humans and the environment during production and in the respective usage scenario. Overall, the four dimensions of culture, social, economy and ecology are taken into account.
(Engl. “from cradle to cradle”, analogously “from origin to origin”; abbreviated also C2C). The concept was developed in the 1990s by the German chemist Michael Braungart and the US-american architect William McDonough. It is an approach to a consistently closed-loop circular economy, through which climate and resource problems can be solved holistically and in the long term. The C2C school of thought sees humans as potential beneficiaries whose actions can make a positive contribution to ecology, economy and social welfare, rather than merely minimizing their damage. The C2C design concept describes how products and processes must be designed to achieve this goal. The decisive factor here is the specific usage scenario for which a product is intended. On this basis, healthy and suitable materials can be selected to circulate continuously in biological and technical cycles.
(engl. “cradle to grave”, also known as “take, make, waste”.) Today, we operate in a linear system: almost all the resources we extract from the earth sooner or later become worthless and partly toxic waste. As a result, finite resources run out, mountains of rubbish grow, water, soil and air are polluted, and health damage is caused. In this way, we humans are gradually depriving ourselves of our own livelihood. This process is the exact opposite of Cradle to Cradle.
Humans need to rethink and redesign to solve our climate and resource problem in the long run. The C2C design concept is the guide for this. It is modeled after natural cycles in which any waste is a nutrient for something new. Cradle to Cradle takes into account all ecological, economic and social aspects of products as early as the design phase. Only recyclable materials that are suitable for the specific purpose of a product are used.
Durable consumer goods such as washing machines, glass bottles or screwdrivers circulate in the circuits of the technosphere. Their components or materials are not or only minimally worn out during use. They therefore do not end up in the environment and can be recycled or directly reused in the same quality after sorting – in contrast to non-durable consumer goods. We want to achieve this recycling through new service models, among other things: using instead of owning.
Garbage is a concept that exists exclusively among humans. Through linear design, most products and their materials become worthless garbage at the end of their use – a tremendous waste of finite raw materials and a burden for the earth and all its creatures. C2C design ensures that the resources used in products retain their value, can be used again and again, and thus never become waste. Cradle to Cradle instead of Cradle to Grave.
Intelligent waste (from English: abundance) can be observed as a basic principle of life in nature: A cherry tree produces masses of blossoms, which after pollination, fall down (waste) and return their nutrients to the tree as compost. We can also manufacture our products according to this principle; they must be recyclable and healthy for people and the environment in defined usage scenarios. This maxim clearly sets us apart from the status quo of senseless waste (see garbage): It is about effectiveness, about the benefit!
For a comprehensive transformation towards a circular economy based on C2C, it is important that all actors involved join their forces. Material pooling enables companies to share material resources and at the same time exchange their expertise in the area of acquisition and transformation of materials. It’s a win-win cooperation system and brings together actors along the entire value chain.
Companies have the opportunity to offer their products as services. At the end of a defined usage period or scenario, the products or materials can be returned to the companies or directly to recycling companies. In this way, material costs become investments and manufacturers become material banks.
Non-durable consumer goods (e.g. soap, shoe soles) circulate in the biological cycle (biosphere) because they are subject to wear and tear and enter the environment. Therefore, they must be designed for the biosphere, so their materials are healthy for humans and the environment and biodegradable.
When products, wherever it makes sense, no longer become the property of customers but are only used, added value is created for all sides. Manufacturing companies have the incentive to make these products recyclable, modular and easy to repair – because, after use, they get the product back, for example via a product service system. In this way, they cover their own raw material requirements for the future. Clean laundry instead of washing machines, mobility instead of cars, green electricity instead of solar power systems: users, whether private or commercial, receive a service tailored to their needs and completely new revenue models arise for the economy.
Materials are defined positive in the C2C design concept: In contrast to the common “free from” approach, materials are selected that can be used without hesitation in the respective cycles and usage scenarios (consumption or usage scenario). It is important to define what is included in a product. Knowing what is not included is not enough. This is how we prevent pollutants from simply being replaced by others.
Regenerative energy is the basis for the production of C2C products. Every day, an almost infinite amount of solar energy reaches our earth, which we can use indefinitely to create continuous cycles.
When using materials, it must be ensured that their effect on the environment is reversible. Irreversibility of environmental effects is not tolerated.
Raw materials are in limited supply, so all products produced from or with them are valuable. We therefore view products as raw material depots (or: material banks). Through circular C2C design, raw materials used in a product retain their value during the use phase. This is supported by business models based on using instead of owning. In this way, companies remain the owners of the valuable raw materials and have an economic advantage through their recycling.
The C2C school of thought describes the human image from which Cradle to Cradle starts: we humans are part of nature, can become beneficial organisms with the right design concept and have a positive ecological, economic and social impact on the Earth system. As beneficials, we do not have to be ashamed of our existence and do less and less of the wrong thing, but more and more of the right thing – because it’s good that we humans exist!
Materials such as metals or plastics circulate in the technosphere. They are available in limited quantities on earth and must therefore be maintained at a consistently high quality. Renewable raw materials can also circulate in the technosphere before returning to the biosphere. Office chairs, for example, can be manufactured in such a way that all the materials used can be separated from one another by type and with little effort so that they can be reused afterward.
According to Cradle to Cradle, every waste is a nutrient for something new. This is the case for all products that are designed and manufactured based on the C2C design concept for biological or technical cycles. All their components and materials are available as raw materials for a new product after being used.. The concept of waste created by us humans then no longer exists, but only continuously circulating nutrients.
The classification into ABCX materials helps to transparently define the quality of product components – always related to the respective usage scenario of the product. A is a material that is best suited for a specifically defined use. B means optimizable, C stands for tolerable and X for non-tolerable. X materials must be replaced by harmless materials. The more A materials a product contains, the higher the product quality.
We humans have caused a lot of damage on earth. So, it is natural to think of ourselves as pests. In the C2C school of thought, however, we are convinced that by setting ourselves positive goals and striving for a positive impact through our actions, we humans can be beneficial for the earth system. However, this requires a shift from our current strategy of being just a little less bad. Leaving a large positive footprint as beneficials instead of just minimizing our negative footprint is the core of the C2C idea.
A substance, material or product is biodegradable if it can be completely broken down into its elemental components in a natural system without producing harmful by-products. This can happen in garden compost, or in an industrial plant. The raw material base of the material is not important, only its chemical structure. Accordingly, synthetically produced materials can also be biodegradable, while there are products made from renewable raw materials to which this does not apply.
This term is used to describe the totality of all habitats of organisms on earth. We humans have also created technical cycles within the biosphere – the technosphere. Products and materials that enter the biosphere must be biodegradable (tire wear, banana peel). All products and materials that are not biodegradable must circulate exclusively in the technosphere (bicycle frame, laptop). Products composed of biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials must be designed and manufactured in such a way that the different materials can be separated without residue and circulate within their respective spheres (bicycle, wood bolted to metal). Products of the biosphere are also ideally designed in such a way that they are used several times in the technical cycle before they are degraded (wood cascade: multiple uses of wood, then used as paper, only then does biodegradation take place).
Contrary to the monotony from cradle to grave, lively and diverse systems of our planet inspire us. One-size-fits-all approaches and simplifications of complex interrelationships do not always provide the appropriate solutions to pressing problems. Biological and cultural diversity can be supported and used wisely through human creativity.
The Cradle to Cradle Certified™ certification, conducted by the non-profit Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII), evaluates various factors and levels of manufacturing, usage and recycling. There are five gradations in certification from Basic to Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, which denotes the highest product standard. The five factors considered are material health, reusability, use of renewable energy and carbon management, water quality, and social standards. There are currently almost 300 C2C companies worldwide with over 8,000 C2C-products.
The C2C school of thought formulates comprehensive quality as one of the goals of an overall societal change. Products are of comprehensive quality if they are produced using regenerative energies for biological and technical cycles. Materials are used that are healthy for humans and the environment during production and in the respective usage scenario. Overall, the four dimensions of culture, social, economy and ecology are taken into account.
(Engl. “from cradle to cradle”, analogously “from origin to origin”; abbreviated also C2C). The concept was developed in the 1990s by the German chemist Michael Braungart and the US-american architect William McDonough. It is an approach to a consistently closed-loop circular economy, through which climate and resource problems can be solved holistically and in the long term. The C2C school of thought sees humans as potential beneficiaries whose actions can make a positive contribution to ecology, economy and social welfare, rather than merely minimizing their damage. The C2C design concept describes how products and processes must be designed to achieve this goal. The decisive factor here is the specific usage scenario for which a product is intended. On this basis, healthy and suitable materials can be selected to circulate continuously in biological and technical cycles.
(engl. “cradle to grave”, also known as “take, make, waste”.) Today, we operate in a linear system: almost all the resources we extract from the earth sooner or later become worthless and partly toxic waste. As a result, finite resources run out, mountains of rubbish grow, water, soil and air are polluted, and health damage is caused. In this way, we humans are gradually depriving ourselves of our own livelihood. This process is the exact opposite of Cradle to Cradle.
Humans need to rethink and redesign to solve our climate and resource problem in the long run. The C2C design concept is the guide for this. It is modeled after natural cycles in which any waste is a nutrient for something new. Cradle to Cradle takes into account all ecological, economic and social aspects of products as early as the design phase. Only recyclable materials that are suitable for the specific purpose of a product are used.
Durable consumer goods such as washing machines, glass bottles or screwdrivers circulate in the circuits of the technosphere. Their components or materials are not or only minimally worn out during use. They therefore do not end up in the environment and can be recycled or directly reused in the same quality after sorting – in contrast to non-durable consumer goods. We want to achieve this recycling through new service models, among other things: using instead of owning.
Garbage is a concept that exists exclusively among humans. Through linear design, most products and their materials become worthless garbage at the end of their use – a tremendous waste of finite raw materials and a burden for the earth and all its creatures. C2C design ensures that the resources used in products retain their value, can be used again and again, and thus never become waste. Cradle to Cradle instead of Cradle to Grave.
Intelligent waste (from English: abundance) can be observed as a basic principle of life in nature: A cherry tree produces masses of blossoms, which after pollination, fall down (waste) and return their nutrients to the tree as compost. We can also manufacture our products according to this principle; they must be recyclable and healthy for people and the environment in defined usage scenarios. This maxim clearly sets us apart from the status quo of senseless waste (see garbage): It is about effectiveness, about the benefit!
For a comprehensive transformation towards a circular economy based on C2C, it is important that all actors involved join their forces. Material pooling enables companies to share material resources and at the same time exchange their expertise in the area of acquisition and transformation of materials. It’s a win-win cooperation system and brings together actors along the entire value chain.
Companies have the opportunity to offer their products as services. At the end of a defined usage period or scenario, the products or materials can be returned to the companies or directly to recycling companies. In this way, material costs become investments and manufacturers become material banks.
Non-durable consumer goods (e.g. soap, shoe soles) circulate in the biological cycle (biosphere) because they are subject to wear and tear and enter the environment. Therefore, they must be designed for the biosphere, so their materials are healthy for humans and the environment and biodegradable.
When products, wherever it makes sense, no longer become the property of customers but are only used, added value is created for all sides. Manufacturing companies have the incentive to make these products recyclable, modular and easy to repair – because, after use, they get the product back, for example via a product service system. In this way, they cover their own raw material requirements for the future. Clean laundry instead of washing machines, mobility instead of cars, green electricity instead of solar power systems: users, whether private or commercial, receive a service tailored to their needs and completely new revenue models arise for the economy.
Materials are defined positive in the C2C design concept: In contrast to the common “free from” approach, materials are selected that can be used without hesitation in the respective cycles and usage scenarios (consumption or usage scenario). It is important to define what is included in a product. Knowing what is not included is not enough. This is how we prevent pollutants from simply being replaced by others.
Regenerative energy is the basis for the production of C2C products. Every day, an almost infinite amount of solar energy reaches our earth, which we can use indefinitely to create continuous cycles.
When using materials, it must be ensured that their effect on the environment is reversible. Irreversibility of environmental effects is not tolerated.
Raw materials are in limited supply, so all products produced from or with them are valuable. We therefore view products as raw material depots (or: material banks). Through circular C2C design, raw materials used in a product retain their value during the use phase. This is supported by business models based on using instead of owning. In this way, companies remain the owners of the valuable raw materials and have an economic advantage through their recycling.
The C2C school of thought describes the human image from which Cradle to Cradle starts: we humans are part of nature, can become beneficial organisms with the right design concept and have a positive ecological, economic and social impact on the Earth system. As beneficials, we do not have to be ashamed of our existence and do less and less of the wrong thing, but more and more of the right thing – because it’s good that we humans exist!
Materials such as metals or plastics circulate in the technosphere. They are available in limited quantities on earth and must therefore be maintained at a consistently high quality. Renewable raw materials can also circulate in the technosphere before returning to the biosphere. Office chairs, for example, can be manufactured in such a way that all the materials used can be separated from one another by type and with little effort so that they can be reused afterward.
According to Cradle to Cradle, every waste is a nutrient for something new. This is the case for all products that are designed and manufactured based on the C2C design concept for biological or technical cycles. All their components and materials are available as raw materials for a new product after being used.. The concept of waste created by us humans then no longer exists, but only continuously circulating nutrients.
Svenja Damberg ist seit 2021 Senior Research Fellow am Institut für Technologie- und Innovationsmanagement der TU Hamburg. Sie ist außerdem Projektmitarbeiterin für Technologie- und Innovationsmanagement und Wissenstransfer bei der Cradle to Cradle-Modellregion Nordostniedersachsen. Damberg schrieb ihre Dissertation im Bereich Kundenmanagement bei Genossenschaftsbanken an der TU Hamburg. Zuvor war sie u.a. beim Recruiting-Technologie-Startup RelinkLabs in Kopenhagen im Bereich Marketing und Kommunikation tätig. Sie hat Business and Development Studies an der Copenhagen Business School studiert.
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Svenja Damberg has been a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management at TU Hamburg since 2021. She is also a project associate for technology and innovation management and knowledge transfer at the Cradle to Cradle Model Region Northeast Lower Saxony. Damberg wrote her dissertation in the field of customer management at cooperative banks at the TU Hamburg. Previously, she worked in marketing and communications at the recruiting technology startup RelinkLabs in Copenhagen, among others. She studied Business and Development Studies at Copenhagen Business School.
Christoph Müller arbeitet seit 2015 für die Gebäudewirtschaft der Hansestadt Lüneburg. Dort leitet er aktuell das C2C-inspirierte Probeprojekt „Neubau Hort Anne-Frank-Schule“. Zuvor hat er 9 Jahre als Bauleiter und in der Projektentwicklung gearbeitet. Müller ist gelernter Tischler und Bauingenieur.
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Christoph Müller has been working for the building management department of the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg since 2015. There, he is currently managing the C2C-inspired trial project „Neubau Hort Anne-Frank-Schule“. Prior to that, he worked for 9 years as a construction manager and in project development. Müller is a trained carpenter and civil engineer.
Andreas Thürmer ist seit 2020 Leiter der Geschäftseinheit Strategie, Organisation und Kommunikation bei der Berliner Stadtreinigung. Er ist seit 2001 bei der BSR und war dort als Leiter des Vorstandsbüro, Prokurist und Leiter der Organisationsentwicklung tätig. Zuvor war Thürmer interner Berater bei Audi. Er ist außerdem Vorstandsvorsitzender der Entsorgergemeinschaft der deutschen Entsorgungswirtschaft e.V. und Mitglied im Umweltausschuss der IHK Berlin. Thürmer ist Diplom-Ingenieur und hat an der Universität Stuttgart Maschinenbau studiert.
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Andreas Thürmer has been head of the Strategy, Organization and Communication business unit at Berliner Stadtreinigung since 2020. He has been with BSR since 2001, where he served as head of the board office, authorized signatory and head of organizational development. Prior to that, Thürmer was an internal consultant at Audi. He is also chairman of the board of the Entsorgergemeinschaft der deutschen Entsorgungswirtschaft e.V. and a member of the environmental committee of the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Thürmer holds a degree in engineering and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Stuttgart.
Peter Kurth ist seit 2008 geschäftsführender Präsident des Bundesverbands der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft. Seit 2020 ist der studierte Jurist zudem Präsident des europäischen Entsorgerverbands FEAD. In seiner beruflichen Laufbahn war Kurth unter anderem für die Deutsche Bank und die Kreditbank als Jurist tätig und war von 2001 bis 2009 Vorstandsmitglied des Berliner Entsorgungsunternehmens Alba. Zuvor begleitete Kurth unterschiedliche politische Ämter. Ab 1994 war er Staatssekretär im Berliner Finanzsenat und ab 1999 Finanzsenator. Er war zudem Aufsichtsrat in unterschiedlichen Kreditunternehmen wie der Bankgesellschaft Berlin sowie der Landesbank Berlin und Abgeordneter des Abgeordnetenhauses Berlin.
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Peter Kurth has been Executive President of the Federal Association of the German Waste Management, Water and Raw Materials Industry (BDE) since 2008. Since 2020, the law graduate has also been President of the European Waste Management Association FEAD. In his professional career, Kurth has worked as a lawyer for Deutsche Bank and Kreditbank and was a member of the executive board of the Berlin waste management company Alba from 2001 to 2009. Prior to that, Kurth held various political offices. From 1994, he was State Secretary in the Berlin Finance Senate and from 1999 Finance Senator. He was also a member of the supervisory board of various credit companies such as Bankgesellschaft Berlin and Landesbank Berlin, and a member of the Berlin House of Representatives.
Lorena Zangl arbeitet seit 2017 in der hauptamtlichen Geschäftsstelle der C2C NGO. Seit 2020 leitet sie als Referentin den Bereich Kommunale Entwicklung und betreut in dieser Funktion das Netzwerk C2C Regionen. Außerdem ist sie für die Erarbeitung eines Leitfadens für kommunale Beschaffung und C2C verantwortlich. Sie studierte “Political & Social Studies” und “Öffentliches Recht” an der Universität in Würzburg und absolvierte den Master Global Change Management an der Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung in Eberswalde. Zuvor sammelte sie Arbeitserfahrungen im Stiftungsbereich, verschiedenen NGOs für Umwelt und Soziales und Bundespolitik.
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Lorena Zangl has been working for C2C NGO since 2017. Since 2020, she has been head of the Municipal Development department and, in this capacity, oversees the “C2C Regions Network”. She is also responsible for the development of a guide for municipal procurement and C2C. She studied “Political & Social Studies” and “Public Law” at the University of Würzburg and completed a Master’s degree in Global Change Management at the University for Sustainable Development in Eberswalde. Previously, she gained work experience in the foundation sector, various environmental and social NGOs and federal politics.
Ilse Beneke leitet seit 2016 die Kompetenzstelle für nachhaltige Beschaffung beim Beschaffungsamt des Bundesministeriums des Innern und für Heimat, wo sie sich mit der praktischen Implementierung von Nachhaltigkeitskriterien in öffentlichen Auftragsvergaben befasst. Zuvor war sie Referentin im Ministerium für Umwelt, Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz des Landes Brandenburg. Beneke ist Volljuristin mit Spezialisierung Umweltrecht und hat 2013 berufsbegleitend ihren Master zum Thema “Responsible Management” abgeschlossen.
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Ilse Beneke has headed the Competence Center for Sustainable Procurement at the Procurement Office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs since 2016, where she deals with the practical implementation of sustainability criteria in public procurement. Previously, she was an advisor at the Ministry of the Environment, Health and Consumer Protection of the State of Brandenburg. Beneke is a fully qualified lawyer specializing in environmental law and completed her master’s degree in “Responsible Management” in 2013 while working.
Dagmar Schulz ist seit 2021 erste Landrätin des Landkreises Lüchow-Dannenberg. Sie ist seit 2003 im Landkreis Lüchow-Dannenberg tätig und hat dort unter anderem die Fachbereiche Kultur, Kreisarchiv und Museen, kaufmännisches Gebäudemanagement, Straßenverkehr sowie Jugend-Familie-Bildung geleitet.
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Dagmar Schulz has been the first female district administrator of the Lüchow-Dannenberg district since 2021. She has worked in the district of Lüchow-Dannenberg since 2003 and has headed the departments of culture, district archives and museums, commercial building management, road traffic and youth-family-education, among others.
Bernhard Reger leitet seit Mai 2021 die Bereiche Marketing und Unternehmenskommunikation der Leipfinger-Bader Ziegelwerke. Zuvor war er in unterschiedlichen Kommunikations- und Marketingagenturen tätig, unter anderem als Mitgründer und Teilhaber der Agentur Synektar und Inhaber und Gründer von reger’s Design- und Kommunikationsagentur. Reger ist gelernter Werbekaufmann und Diplom-Kommunikationswirt.
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Bernhard Reger has been in charge of marketing and corporate communications at Leipfinger-Bader Ziegelwerke since May 2021. He previously worked in various communications and marketing agencies, including as co-founder and partner of the Synektar agency and owner and founder of reger’s design and communications agency. Reger is a trained advertising merchant and holds a degree in communications.
Vanja Schneider ist seit 2020 Geschäftsführer und Strategieverantwortlicher der Moringa GmbH. Zuletzt war er als Geschäftsführer der Interboden-Gruppe unter anderem für das Projekt The Cradle in Düsseldorf verantwortlich. Schneider ist Bau- und Wirtschaftsingenieur und seit 1991 in der Immobilienwirtschaft, vor allem in der Immobilienentwicklung, tätig.
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Vanja Schneider has been Managing Director and Head of Strategy at Moringa GmbH since 2020. Most recently, as Managing Director of the Interboden Group, he was responsible, among other things, for The Cradle project in Düsseldorf. Schneider is a civil and industrial engineer and has been working in the real estate industry, primarily in real estate development, since 1991.
Sören Bartol ist seit Dezember 2021 Parlamentarischer Staatssekretär im Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen. Zuvor war er von 2013 bis 2021 stellvertretender Vorsitzender der SPD-Bundestagsfraktion. Seit 2002 ist Bartol direkt gewähltes MdB für den Wahlkreis Marburg-Biedenkopf. Er ist seit vielen Jahren für die Themen Bau, Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung zuständig, u.a. als Arbeitsgruppensprecher im Bundestag. Bartol ist Diplom-Politologe.
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Sören Bartol has been Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building since December 2021. He was previously deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group from 2013 to 2021. Since 2002, Bartol has been a directly elected Member of Parliament for the constituency of Marburg-Biedenkopf. He has been responsible for the topics of construction, housing and urban development for many years, including as a working group spokesman in the Bundestag. Bartol holds a degree in political science.
Dr. Hans Georg Brendle ist seit 1997 Research & Development Manager bei der J. Rettenmaier & Söhne GmbH+Co KG, zu der unter anderem JRS Petcare gehört. Er ist Diplom-Chemiker und hat an der Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen promoviert. Er beschäftigt sich unter anderem mit der mechanischen und chemischen Verarbeitung von pflanzlichen Zellstoffen für Anwendungen in Pharma, Lebensmitteln und Technik.
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Dr. Hans Georg Brendle has been Research & Development Manager at J. Rettenmaier & Söhne GmbH+Co KG, which includes JRS Petcare, since 1997. He holds a degree in chemistry and a doctorate from Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen. Among other things, he is involved in mechanical and chemical processing of cellulosic plant material for pharmaceutical, food and technical applications.
Thomas Bader ist Gründer und Geschäftsführer der Leipfinger-Bader GmbH sowie Gründer & Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter der Bader Media GmbH. Darüber hinaus hält Bader diverse Aufsichtsrats- und Vorstandspositionen inne, beispielsweise beim Bundesverband der Deutschen Ziegelindustrie e.V. Er ist Diplom-Ingenieur und Diplom-Kaufmann.
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Thomas Bader is founder and managing director of Leipfinger-Bader GmbH as well as a founder & managing partner of Bader Media GmbH. In addition, Bader holds various supervisory board and executive board positions, for example at the Bundesverband der Deutschen Ziegelindustrie e.V. He holds a degree in engineering and a degree in business administration.
Aloys Oechtering ist seit 1989 Bereichsleiter im Unternehmensbereich organische Abfälle, Biomasse und Bioenergie der Unternehmensgruppe Remondis. Er ist außerdem Geschäftsführer verschiedener Spezialgesellschaften für organische Abfälle, wie Remondis SmartRec, und Aufsichtsratsmitglied verschiedener Beteiligungsgesellschaften mit kommunalen Partnern. Oechtering ist in diversen Verbänden, wie beispielsweise dem Entsorgerverband BDE tätig. Er studierte Agrarwissenschaften an der TU München und der Universität Göttingen.
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Aloys Oechtering has been head of the organic waste, biomass and bioenergy division of Remondis Group since 1989. He is also managing director of various specialist companies for organic waste, for example Remondis SmartRec, and a member of the supervisory boards of various associated companies with municipal partners. Oechtering is active in associations such as the BDE. He studied agricultural sciences at the Technical University of Munich and the University of Göttingen.
Manuel Ehlers ist seit 2016 Head of Sustainable Property der Triodos Bank. Seit 2021 ist Ehlers außerdem Mitglied im Immobilienbeirat der DGNB. Zuvor war er als Projektentwickler viele Jahre mit der Konzeption und Realisierung von Immobilienprojekten in Berlin betraut. Er ist gelernter Wirtschaftsingenieur mit einer Spezialisierung auf nachhaltiges Bauen.
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Manuel Ehlers has been Head of Sustainable Property at Triodos Bank since 2016. Since 2021, Ehlers has also been a member of the DGNB’s Real Estate Advisory Board. Previously, he worked for many years as a project developer and was in charge of the conception and realization of real estate projects in Berlin. He is a trained industrial engineer specialized in sustainable construction.
André Siedenberg ist seit 2014 bei der Kommunal Agentur NRW GmbH in Düsseldorf als Berater für kommunale Beschaffung tätig. Seit 2015 ist er außerdem als Rechtsanwalt zugelassen. Er vertritt öffentliche Auftraggeber in Nachprüfungsverfahren, hält Seminare zum Vergaberecht und unterstützt Nichtregierungsorganisationen in allen Fragen der nachhaltigen Beschaffung. Zuvor war er im Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie, Industrie, Mittelstand und Handwerk des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen im Referat für Vergaberecht tätig. Siedenberg studierte Rechtswissenschaften und Europäisches Recht an der Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg.
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André Siedenberg has been working as a consultant for municipal procurement at Kommunal Agentur NRW GmbH in Düsseldorf since 2014. He has also been admitted to the bar in 2015. In this capacity, he represents public contracting authorities in review proceedings, holds seminars on public procurement law, and supports NGOs in all matters of sustainable procurement. Previously, he worked at the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Industry, SMEs and Trade of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in the department for public procurement law. Siedenberg studied law and European law at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg.
Natalie Rottmann-Boos ist seit 2020 als Projektmanagerin in der Kompetenzstelle für sozial verantwortliche Beschaffung bei Immobilien Bremen tätig. Dort unterstützt sie den kommunalen Einkauf bei Ausschreibungen und bringt eine sozial-ökologische und zirkuläre Beschaffung voran, beispielsweise mit dem Projekt „SDG 12: Fair handeln und beschaffen `Made in Bremen´“. Zuvor war Rottmann-Boos zehn Jahre lang als Projektmanagerin im Offshore-Windkraftbereich tätig.
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Natalie Rottmann-Boos has been working as a project manager in the competence center for socially responsible procurement at Immobilien Bremen since 2020. She supports the purchasing department in tenders and promotes social-ecological and circular procurement, for example with the project “SDG 12: Fair trade and procurement `Made in Bremen´”. Before that, Rottmann-Boos worked as a project manager in the offshore wind power sector for ten years.
Sybille Mai ist Leading Consultant und Standortverantwortliche in Berlin für die EPEA GmbH, mit Schwerpunkt Cradle to Cradle im Bau. Zwischen 2008 und 2015 baute sie bei Drees & Sommer in Berlin die Beratungskompetenzen zur Nachhaltigkeit auf und begleitete als DGNB-Auditorin und LEED-AP eine Vielzahl von Green-Building-Zertifizierungen. Weitere Stationen führten die Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieurin als Abteilungsleiterin für Immobilienmanagement und Geländeentwicklung zur Messe Berlin sowie in die verantwortliche Projektsteuerung.
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Sybille Mai is Leading Consultant and Site Manager for EPEA GmbHs Berlin office, with a focus on Cradle to Cradle in construction. Between 2008 and 2015, she built up sustainability consulting expertise at Drees & Sommer in Berlin and, as a DGNB auditor and LEED-AP, accompanied a large number of Green Building certifications. Further positions led her to Messe Berlin as head of department for real estate management and site development as well as into responsible project management. Mai holds a diploma degree in industrial engineering.
Nora Sophie Griefahn ist Co-Gründerin und geschäftsführende Vorständin von Cradle to Cradle NGO. Die Umweltwissenschaftlerin koordiniert die politische und wissenschaftliche Arbeit der 2012 gegründeten gemeinnützigen Organisation und treibt ein Umdenken in Wissenschaft, Politik, Bildung und Gesellschaft voran, das mehr als nur Klimaneutralität zum Ziel hat. Sie ist als Expertin für Cradle to Cradle und eine klimapositive Zukunft gefragt und spricht darüber auf Veranstaltungen sowie als Gastkommentatorin oder Gesprächspartnerin in Printmedien und digitalen Formaten. Darüber hinaus lehrt Griefahn an verschiedenen deutschen Hochschulen.
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Nora Sophie Griefahn is executive managing director and co-founder of Cradle to Cradle NGO. She majored in Environmental Sciences at Leuphana University Lüneburg and Goethe University Frankfurt with stays at University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna and University of Copenhagen. As the only German, she was elected as a GreenBiz’ 30 Under 30 inspiring young leader in 2018.
In 2012, she co-founded Cradle to Cradle NGO (C2C NGO) with Tim Janssen in order to establish Cradle to Cradle principles in economy and politics. C2C NGO connects the fields of business, education, politics, and civil society by creating networking platforms and educational formats.
As co-executive director, Nora coordinates the NGOs scientific, political and educational work and actively shapes a new understanding of material health and circularity. Nora is a sought-after expert, speaker and panelist on Circular Economy and Cradle to Cradle with a broad expertise in chemical construction, healthy product design, and the coherences between climate change and resource scarcity. Furthermore, she is a member of various scientific advisory councils and a lecturer at the Technical University of Berlin.
Tim Janßen ist geschäftsführenden Vorstand und Mitbegründer der gemeinnützigen Cradle to Cradle NGO. Er studierte Wirtschaftswissenschaften an der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg und der Dualen Hochschule Baden-Württemberg. Dabei lag sein Fokus auf Gründung, Innovationsmanagement und verantwortungsvollem Wirtschaften. Auslandsaufenthalte führten ihn an das Athlone Institute of Technology in Irland, sowie die Universität Wien im Rahmen eines PROMOS- Stipendiums des DAAD.
Aus der Idee heraus, die Cradle to Cradle Denkschule und das Designkonzept in die Mitte der Gesellschaft zu tragen, gründete Tim Janßen 2012 C2C NGO mit und leitet diese seither als Co-Geschäftsführer. Dabei entwickelt er Strategien, um eine maximale Wirkung der Organisation auf die Gesellschaft zu erreichen, und gestaltet aktiv das Wachstum der noch jungen, stetig größer werdenden Bewegung.
Tim Janßen hält als Redner zahlreiche Fachvorträge auf nationalen und internationalen Konferenzen und Fachtagungen und gibt sein Wissen um Cradle to Cradle an Fachpublikum und Interessierte weiter. Des Weiteren lehrt er als Hochschuldozent an der Dualen Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW), Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, HS Mittweida sowie der TU Berlin.
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Tim Janßen is executive director and co-founder of Cradle to Cradle NGO. He majored in Business, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership at Leuphana University Lüneburg and Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW). In 2012, he co-founded Cradle to Cradle NGO (C2C NGO) with Nora Sophie Griefahn. C2C NGO connects the fields of business, education, politics, and civil society by creating networking platforms and educational formats. In 2019, the NGO established the C2C LAB in Berlin: the world’s first renovation in an existing building based on Cradle to Cradle criteria. Serving as an educational center, NGO head office, and real-world laboratory, it is here where the C2C school of thought and design concept become reality. As co-executive director, Tim develops strategies to maximize the organization’s impact on society and actively shapes the growth of this young, ever-growing movement. He is a sought-after expert for Cradle to Cradle, Circular Economy and Social Entrepreneurship. He regularly holds keynotes and partakes as panelist at national and international conferences. Furthermore, Tim is a lecturer at DHBW, Leuphana University Lüneburg and TU Berlin.
Andreas Bukowski ist seit 2020 Erster Bürgermeister der Gemeinde Haar. Seit 2019 ist er außerdem Vorsitzender des CSU Ortsverbands Haar und des Gewerbeverbands Haar Trudering. Zuvor war er zehn Jahre lang als Leiter Marketing & Vertrieb und als Geschäftsführer der Styx Naturcosmetics GmbH tätig. Bukowski ist promovierter Dr. Phil. und hatte zwischen 2009 und 2013 einen Lehrauftrag an der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
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Andreas Bukowski has been First Mayor of the Bavarian municipality of Haar since 2020. Since 2019, he has also been Chairman of the local branch of the Christian Social Union party in Haar and the Haar Trudering trade association. He previously was Head of Marketing & Sales and Managing Director of Styx Naturcosmetics GmbH for ten years. Mr. Bukowski holds a PhD and was a lecturer at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich between 2009 and 2013.
Michael Behnke ist seit 2004 General Manager der Markenagentur Belly Button Paris. Seit 2021 vertritt er außerdem ehrenamtlich die Plant Litter Association (PLA) in Deutschland und Frankreich, die sich europaweit dafür einsetzt, Verbraucher*innen und Regierungsorgane auf das Umweltproblem mineralischer Katzenstreu aufmerksam zu machen. 2018 initiierte Behnke eine vergleichende Life-Cycle-Assessment-Studie verschiedener Arten von Katzenstreu, die erstmals das Umweltproblem Mineralstreu wissenschaftlich untersuchte. Er unterrichtet außerdem seit 2014 an der American University of Paris. Zuvor war er unter anderem für die Publicis Group, Young & Rubicam und TBWA Paris tätig.
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Michael Behnke has been the General Manager of branding and brand communication agency Belly Button Paris since 2004. Since 2021, he is the honorary representative of the Plant Litter Association (PLA) in Germany and France. The association works across Europe, raising awareness among consumers and governmental bodies about the environmental problem of mineral cat litter. In 2018, Behnke initiated a comparative life-cycle assessment study of different types of cat litter, the first to scientifically examine the environmental problem of mineral litter. He also has been a lecturer at the American University of Paris since 2014. Previously, he worked for the Publicis Group, Young & Rubicam and TBWA Paris, among others.
Biografie Text Bei der Cradle to Cradle Certified™-Zertifizierung, die das gemeinnützige Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) vornimmt, werden verschiedene Faktoren und Ebenen der Herstellung, Nutzung und der Wiederverwertung bewertet. Es gibt fünf Abstufungen in der Zertifizierung von Basic über Bronze, Silber, Gold bis hin zu Platin, welches den höchsten Produktstandard kennzeichnet. Dabei werden die fünf Faktoren Materialgesundheit, Wiederverwendbarkeit, Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien und Kohlenstoffmanagement, Wasserqualität sowie Sozialstandards betrachtet. Weltweit gibt es aktuell knapp 300 C2C-Unternehmen mit über 8.000 C2C-Produkten.
