Last week, the focus of the Cradle to Cradle Congress 2026, organized by the Cradle to Cradle NGO in Berlin, was on professional exchange around current challenges and opportunities in the circular economy. Together with representatives from business, academia, politics, and other stakeholder groups, the Cradle to Cradle community discussed pathways toward a circular economy and the practical implementation of Cradle to Cradle principles.
For our team at EPEA, two topics were particularly important: the growing relevance of verified product data and the role of the circular economy in addressing critical raw materials. In the panel discussion “When Design Meets Data: How Data and Digitalization Accelerate C2C Certification”, Dr. Jan Christoph von der Lancken explained why verified product and manufacturing data are becoming increasingly important for companies. As regulatory requirements continue to grow, digital product passports are introduced, and transparency expectations rise, reliable and traceable information throughout the value chain is becoming essential. Cradle to Cradle Certified® can play an important role in this context. Dr. Annette Winterl participated in the panel “Resource Crisis Meets High-Tech: How We Scale C2C Electronics”, discussing the challenges and opportunities facing the electronics industry. The discussion focused on how circular products can help reduce dependency on critical raw materials and strengthen material cycles in the long term. Beyond the conference sessions, the congress provided numerous opportunities to connect with companies that EPEA has already supported on their journey toward Cradle to Cradle Certified® certification. The showcased case studies clearly demonstrated how circular economy approaches are already being implemented successfully today and how they contribute to innovation, resilience, and sustainable value creation.
We would like to thank the Cradle to Cradle NGO and all participants for two inspiring days filled with new perspectives, engaging discussions, and valuable insights. We are taking away many inspiring ideas, fresh perspectives, and meaningful connections, and we look forward to translating them into concrete projects together with our customers.