Scaling Circularity: How Pioneers Are Leading the Transition

At the 9th Cradle to Cradle Congress in Berlin earlier this year, it became clear: circularity is no longer a distant ambition. Two decades after the Cradle to Cradle® framework was introduced, frontrunners across industries are showing how it can be implemented at scale—driving innovation, resilience, and new market standards. 

Organised by the Cradle to Cradle NGO, the Congress is one of Europe’s leading forums for circular product innovation. It brings together companies, designers, policymakers, and scientists to explore how Cradle to Cradle principles are being applied to create safe, circular, and responsible product systems. 

The congress highlighted how businesses are applying the Cradle to Cradle design principles and the Cradle to Cradle Certified® framework to rethink materials, reshape value chains, and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. As an accredited Cradle to Cradle Certified® assessment body, Vugge til Vugge works closely with many of these companies. 

1. Circular Design as a Competitive Advantage 

Some of the most compelling insights came from companies already using certification to lead change. Bang & Olufsen premiered its new modular soundbar—designed for easy disassembly, repair, and material recovery. 

“We must design with the end in mind,” said Mads Kogsgaard Hansen, Head of Product Circularity & Portfolio Planning at B&O. “Electronics must be built for longevity and material recovery from the outset.” 

With five Cradle to Cradle Certified® products and more in the pipeline, the company is proving that circular design can go hand in hand with high-end aesthetics and performance. 

In fashion, roccamore’s Signe Marie Bakka Backhaus emphasized the value of design for longevity and transparency: 

“Circularity is not just about making products better, but about challenging the very way we produce and consume.” 

Their traceability-focused approach is making circular practices visible to customers and commercially viable for the brand. 

2. Data and Transparency as Enablers of Impact 

Another clear message: circularity depends on supply chain visibility. Companies are investing in digital product passports, traceable raw materials, and lifecycle data to support recovery and reuse. 

Frank Lenderink, Director of International Environmental Initiatives at Apple, pointed to the challenge and necessity of full material disclosure: 

“We are pushing for complete material transparency to ensure every component can be recovered and repurposed.” 

These systems are not only about compliance—they are the foundation for product design that aligns with circular principles. Without access to trustworthy data on inputs and processes, circularity remains aspirational. Transparency, therefore, is not a communication exercise alone but a material precondition for transformation. 

3. Policy Is Advancing – But Leaders Are Already Moving 

The congress also addressed the evolving regulatory landscape shaping circular economy strategies in Europe. From the EU’s Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, to Germany’s National Circular Economy Strategy (NKWS), legislative momentum is accelerating. These policy tools aim to systematize material recovery, require transparency across product life cycles, and push for resource efficiency at scale. 

However, it was clear that many pioneering companies are not waiting for regulation to define their path. By embedding circular principles today, they are positioning themselves as front-runners in a future where circular performance will no longer be optional—but expected. Early adopters are shaping markets and setting the standards that policy will follow, rather than the other way around. 

As Dr. Christiane Rohleder, State Secretary at Germany’s Ministry for the Environment, pointed out: 

“Sustainability is moving from voluntary to mandatory.” 

4. Innovation Requires Both Materials and Models 

Speakers emphasized that technical innovation must be matched by systemic thinking. Product-as-a-Service models, reverse logistics, and financing mechanisms are all maturing to support circular flows. 

Ana-Cristina Grohnert, Founding Partner at Score4Impact, highlighted the financing side: 

“We already have the tools to fund the circular economy at scale—we just need to align capital with impact.” 

Meanwhile, material health remains foundational. Elwyn Grainger-Jones, Executive Director at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, underscored the value of certification: 

“Cradle to Cradle Certified® gives businesses the framework to make products that are safe, circular, and responsibly made.” 

5. Communication and Culture Are Key 

Several sessions focused on the cultural shift required to support circular transformation. While technical progress is essential, it must be matched by clear and credible communication—both internally and externally. Companies that transparently engage stakeholders, from suppliers to consumers, are more likely to build lasting trust and loyalty. 

Fashion brand roccamore stood out as a company putting this into practice. By embedding traceability directly into the customer experience, they are enabling buyers to see and understand the impact of their choices. This approach makes circularity visible—not just behind the scenes, but at the point of purchase. 

Communication is also key to consumer uptake. Circularity can be complex, and data alone doesn’t create understanding. That’s why some brands are moving beyond traditional reporting to tell meaningful stories about their impact. By connecting circular strategies to people’s values and daily choices, businesses can foster a deeper connection between product and purpose. 

Filmmaker Johanna Jaurich noted: 

“People don’t change behavior based on data alone. We need compelling narratives that make circularity tangible and desirable.” 

Roccamore’s consumer-facing traceability strategy reflects this mindset—bridging the gap between technical transparency and everyday relevance. 

6. Certification as a Roadmap to Scaling 

The Cradle to Cradle Certified® framework provides companies with a structured path to improve across material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. This structured progression helps companies avoid piecemeal efforts and move toward integrated circular systems. 

Certification also acts as a common language between stakeholders—suppliers, investors, designers, and regulators—enabling better coordination and reducing friction in circular product development. 

Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen framed the urgency clearly: 

“It is difficult to save the world on a voluntary basis when others are destroying it full-time.” 

Looking Ahead: From Initiative to Infrastructure 

As momentum builds, the key challenge is to move from successful initiatives to systemic implementation. The congress made it clear that the next phase of the transition will require strong infrastructure—technical, organizational, and financial—to support circular practices at scale. This includes not only circular-ready supply chains, but shared metrics, platforms for transparency, and mechanisms for product take-back and reuse. 

The Cradle to Cradle Certified® framework supports this by providing a science-based structure for continuous improvement, guiding companies toward long-term transformation—not short-term fixes. Companies that integrate these principles today are not just responding to change, but helping to design the system for a regenerative economy. 

Ken Webster, Fellow at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, closed one of the sessions with a powerful reminder: 

“It’s not just about reducing harm—it’s about regenerative impact.” 

At Vugge til Vugge, we continue to support businesses in making that shift a reality: with Cradle to Cradle Certified®, circularity is not only ambitious, but achievable and measurable. 

The 2025 congress confirmed: the shift is underway. The challenge now is not to start—but to build the infrastructure to scale.