The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is a non-profit organization, co-founded by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, to bring about a large-scale transformation in the way we make things. The Institute's mission is to provide a continuous improvement quality standard to guide product manufacturers and designers in making safe and healthy things for our world. The Institute, using the Cradle to Cradle® framework, works with leaders from academia, the NGO environmental community, government, and industry to implement a standard for assessing and constantly improving products based on five criteria: 1. Safe and appropriately sourced materials 2. Material reutilization 3. Renewable energy 4. Release of clean water 5. Social fairness Products that meet the transparent criteria of this rating system will receive the Cradle to CradleCM certification mark.