Method, the San-Francisco based company that makes cleaning products and hand soaps in stylish packaging that’s also eco-friendly, has earned the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute’s highest rating for 16 of its product lines.

This means that seventy-five percent of Method’s naturally-derived, biodegradable products lines are certified Gold, the second highest rating in the Cradle to Cradle Certified program for guiding and certifying product innovation.

The newly certified products include household cleaners, laundry care and personal care. (Method’s hand soap package is shown.)

Adam Lowry, Method co-founder and chief ‘greenskeeper’ at Method commented:

“Beautiful design and environmental responsibility are equally important when creating a product, and we shouldn’t have to trade functionality for sustainability. We are constantly evaluating and improving our products, which has resulted in Cradle to Cradle Gold certification of the majority of our portfolio. We will continue to use these standards as part of our development process in offering a radically better product experience.”

Earning this Gold rating means all the ingredients of these products have been tested to assure they pose no risk to human health or the environment. The products were assessed using the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard by the product design and optimization firm McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), one of 13 companies around the world authorized to conduct product analysis.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified program, which is administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, takes a holistic approach to evaluating product design and manufacturing practices by assessing material health, material reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship and social fairness.