Cradle to Cradle Design is based on a system of "lifecycle development," meaning it is sustainable and considerate of life and future generations.

Cradle to Cradle suggests that ecosystems must be protected and enriched, while also maintaining a safe, productive technical metabolism for the high-quality use and circulation of organic and technical nutrients.

In the Cradle to Cradle model, all materials used in industrial or commercial processes (such as fibres and dyes) fall into one of two categories: technical or biological nutrients.

Technical nutrients are strictly limited to non-toxic, non-harmful synthetic materials that have no negative effects on the natural environment. They can be used in continuous cycles as the same product, without losing their integrity or quality, they can be used over and over again instead of being down-cycled into lesser products.

Biological nutrients are organic materials that, once used, can be disposed of in any natural environment and decompose into the soil, providing food for small life forms without affecting the natural environment. This is dependent on the ecology of the region; for example, organic material from one country or landmass may be harmful to the ecology of another country or landmass.

The two types of materials each follow their own cycle in the regenerative economy.

The term Cradle to Cradle is a registered trademark of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry consultants.

In 2010, after 20 years of working with various companies, William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart created a framework for quality assessment and innovation: the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program and in 2012 MBDC turned the certification over to an independent non-profit called the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified program is a multi-attribute green label that assesses product safety for health and the human environment, guides design for the future, and leads manufacturers toward continuous environmental improvement.

Bentley carpet products are certified under Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard at the Silver level. To achieve Cradle to Cradle certification, Bentley products were evaluated according to material health, material reuse, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness standards.

Bentley’s Cradle to Cradle certified product certificates:

• High PerformancePC Broadloom Carpet Products
• AFFIXX Hardback
• AFIRMA Hardback
• NexStep Cushion Tile Carpet Products