Case Study: MBDC

CHAMPIONING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY WITH MBDC

Over the past decade, Blue Practice has championed the Cradle to Cradle Design™ framework, assessment and certification process, as well as promoted the amazing certification stories of brands across all industries leading the movement to improve the overall sustainability, material health, and positive design of products.

Because of Blue Practice’s deep experience with all things MBDC and Cradle to Cradle Certified™, we have consistently demonstrated our leadership in providing counsel and promotion of C2C Certified products, working closely with newly certified companies to accurately tell their unique stories and share their journeys throughout their partnership with MBDC. In many instances, Blue Practice has worked hand-in-hand to launch newly certified products, coordinating media and event efforts between the company and MBDC teams.

Blue Practice provides MBDC with the tools they need to partner with a variety of different companies throughout their certification processes, including:

• Guiding messaging and language for how to communicate Cradle to Cradle Certified, working with MBDC and relaying a company’s unique leadership story
• Providing overarching strategy for announcements and product / material launches
• Identifying audiences and pitching relevant media
• Drafting news items, press releases and blog posts
• Aiding in social media, newsletters and additional marketing tools

Blue Practice has helped a variety of brands in the home goods, personal care, fashion, built environment, renewable energy industries and beyond to champion their journeys toward products that create more good, not just less bad.

What we did

Blue Practice has worked with companies receiving different levels of Cradle to Cradle certification, partnering with MBDC to explain the assessment process, while remaining objective to the third-party certification program managed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. For each product certified, Blue Practice creates a strategic launch announcement plan and helps education MBDC partners, media and the general public. Some of our favorite industries and product announcements are highlighted below:

Personal Care

L’Oreal released its first Cradle to Cradle Certified product line and first ever salon line to be certified in May 2017. The Biolage RAW Nourish Shampoo and Conditioner was awarded Silver level certification, and Blue Practice coordinated media relations surrounding the launch, championing the brand and its certification story, which resulted in a wide array of targeted placements. More recently, Blue Practice collaborated with the company again in 2018 to launch the first-ever mass market Cradle to Cradle Certified product line through Garnier.

Fashion

Alongside MBDC, Blue Practice supported C&A, the leading European fashion retailer, Fashion for Good, and McDonough Innovation to achieve their goal of getting two India-based garment manufacturers – Cotton Blossom and Pratibha Syntex – in developing and producing two Cradle to Cradle Certified™ T-shirts. A year later, we helped continue to tell C&A’s sustainable fashion story in their debut of the first ever Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold denim garment, which additionally highlighted the open-source initiative that supports the transformation of apparel culture toward a Circular Economy through the release of the toolkit Developing Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Jeans. This toolkit includes concrete solutions on how to approach complex products and projects, such as jeans, which contain multiple technical and biological nutrient components (from thread to zipper) to reach product certification at the Gold level.

Built Environment

Blue Practice has collaborated on a variety of certification announcements in the built environment, including Construction Specialties, who has for years committed to safe material chemistry – the guiding principle for material selection and product design.

Blue Practice also is proud to have worked with Miliken, a global manufacturer with expertise in specialty chemicals, floor covering, and performance and protective textiles. Miliken’s modular carpet tiles scored high on the Material Reutilization category with Gold level achievement, and this recognition is well earned given its pre-consumer recycled content and its diversion of over 99% of its waste away from landfills. Alongside MBDC, Blue Practice not only promoted their certification launch, but worked closely with the team in understanding the complex dynamics of Cradle to Cradle Certified and the importance for industry.

Home Goods

Method pursued Cradle to Cradle Certified because of its valuable framework and independent, third-party standard. As a long-term partner of MBDC, Method has aimed to create products that were not only “less bad” for humans and their environment, but were also beneficial, or “more good,” for people and the world they inhabit. Today 92% of the company’s product lines are Cradle to Cradle Certified and 100% of its laundry and personal care products are certified.

Blue Practice has also teamed up with MBDC to announce and celebrate two major accomplishments for Method: the world’s first Cradle to Cradle Certified dryer sheets and a new hand wash formula that has achieved Platinum level for Material Health, a first for the company’s portfolio!