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Denna studies fokus ligger vid de miljöcertifieringar och miljömärkningar som används av tryckerier som ligger i Malmö- och Köpenhamnsområdet. Syftet är dels att skapa en djupare förståelse dels för vilka faktorer som spelar in då ett tryckeri miljöcertifieras, samt att bidra med kunskap om vad en certifiering så som Cradle to Cradle skulle bidra med i förhållande till de miljöcertifieringar som idag är mer etablerade inom grafisk industri. Kvalitativa intervjuer med representanter från fem tryckerier genomfördes. Utöver dessa analyserades kravdokument av de av studien berörda miljöcertifieringarna. Resultaten visar att det finns flera olika anledningar som ligger till grund för att implementera en miljöcertifiering. Gemensamt för de medelstora och stora tryckerierna är dock att de kommunicerar ökade kundkrav som en bidragande orsak till valet att certifiera tryckeriet. Resultaten visar även att en certifiering enligt Cradle to Cradle är mer omfattande samt kostsam än de idag redan etablerade miljöcertifieringarna och miljömärkningarna. / This thesis focuses on the environmental management systems and eco-labels that are used in the printing industry. The aim is to get a deeper understanding of if and why environmental management systems and eco labels are implemented into printing firms. The thesis also aims to compare the Cradle to Cradle model with other environmental management systems and eco- labels used in the printing industry. Qualitative interviews with five printing firms in the Malmö and Copenhagen region was conducted through which empirical data was gathered. The result of the study show that there are a number of different reasons why environmental management systems and eco-labels are implemented but increasing demands from customers seems to be a driving force among medium sized companies.

Bakgrund: Under senare år har cirkulär ekonomi fått allt större uppmärksamhet som ett lovande koncept för att öka den globala hållbarheten och motverka resursbrist. På organisationsnivå handlar arbete mot en cirkulär ekonomi, cirkulärt arbete, om att följa nya principer för att bedriva hållbarhetsarbete och en möjlighet att förena detta med ekonomiska fördelar. Cirkulärt arbete kan därför förväntas skilja mellan offentliga och privata organisationer. Konceptet innebär också att nya mål formuleras och nya strategier används för att nå dessa, varför den formella ekonomistyrningen kan komma att behöva anpassas till det cirkulära arbetet. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att förklara hur offentliga respektive privata organisationer kan arbeta cirkulärt samt hur och varför formell ekonomistyrning anpassas till cirkulärt arbete. Detta för att bidra med kunskap till organisationer som vill utveckla en mer cirkulär verksamhet samt för att göra ett teoretiskt bidrag till forskningen om cirkulär ekonomi i organisationer och formell ekonomistyrning i cirkulärt arbete. Metod: Studiens metod är en tvåfallsstudie i en offentlig respektive en privat organisation. Slutsatser: Studiens slutsatser är att cirkulärt arbete i offentliga organisationer riktas mycket mot utveckling av cirkulär ekonomi i samhället samt att privata organisationer försöker förena hållbarhetsansvar med ekonomiska fördelar genom att utnyttja resurser i högre utsträckning samt förbereda sig inför ett samhälle som stödjer cirkulär ekonomi. Det cirkulära arbetet kan också skilja på grund av organisationens förutsättningar. Den formella ekonomistyrningen anpassas främst genom man försöker påverka medarbetare till att engagera sig i cirkulärt arbete. Vidare krävs tydligare planering samt nya mått för att driva och utvärdera det cirkulära arbetet. Planering och beslutsfattande kräver också en ökad detaljnivå och ett längre tidsperspektiv i styrning mot cirkulärt arbete. / Background: In recent years, circular economy has gained increased attention as a promising concept for global sustainability and solution for resource scarcity. Moving towards a circular economy in organizations is about following new principles for increased sustainability which can lead to economic benefits. The work towards a more circular organization may differ between public and private organizations. The concept also leads to new goals and strategies, which may lead to a need for the formal management accounting and control to be adapted in organizations that adopt the concept. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explain how public and private organizations can work towards a circular economy and how and why formal management accounting and control is adapted to this work. This can lead to a contribution of knowledge for organizations that want to adopt the concept and a theoretical contribution about circular economy in organizations and formal management accounting and control. Method: The method is a case study in two cases: one public and one private organization. Conclusions: The conclusions of this study are that public organizations aim for a development of circular economy on a societal level and private organizations try to accommodate social responsibilities with economic benefits by increasing recourse utility and prepare for a society where circular activities are supported. Preconditions in organizations determines what circular activities are possible. The formal management accounting and control has been adapted mainly in cultural controls to engage co-workers. Clear goals and measures are developed to drive and evaluate the circular work. Planning and decision-making are also more detailed and have longer time perspectives.

This report describes how a car sun visor can be designed in order to meet a sustainability certification called Cradle to Cradle Certified® (C2C). The thesis is a final project for the university program Mechanical Engineering: Product Development and Design at School of engineering, Jönköping University. The thesis is in a collaboration with Polestar, a performance electric car brand with the goal to build sustainable electric cars and help create a sustainable society. One way to take this sustainability work forward is to apply C2C certifications to their products. The aim of the project was therefore to present how a sun visor from a Polestar model would meet the C2C requirements, and to develop a concept and prototype that can potentially receive a C2C certification. The project also aimed to present important conclusions about how C2C affects the product development process. The project was divided into two main sections, one deeper study of C2C and one conceptual design study. The work began with examining the structure and requirements of C2C. These were then compared to Polestar’s sun visor. Several product development phases were carried out with Bootcamp bootleg and the C2C process to develop concepts that could meet C2C´s and Polestar´s requirements. The concepts were then presented to a focus group in order to select a concept for further development. The result is a conceptual sun visor that is well adapted for C2C. The concept has a big focus on sustainable and safe materials, functions for circularity, with an extra focus on a simple disassembly process. According to the project group, the concept is assessed to possess the potential for the third highest ranking in the C2C certification. The project also resulted in a prototype to present the concept, functions and materials. / I denna rapport redovisas hur solskyddet i en bil kan designas i syfte att uppfylla en hållbarhetscertifiering kallad Cradle to Cradle Certified® (C2C). Examensarbetet är ett slutprojekt för högskoleprogrammet Maskinteknik: Produktutveckling och design vid Tekniska Högskolan i Jönköping. Examensarbetet genomförs i samarbete med Polestar, ett prestanda elbilsmärke som arbetar med att skapa hållbara elbilar för att bidra till ett hållbart samhälle. Ett sätt att föra detta hållbarhetsarbete framåt, är att tillämpa C2C-certifieringar på sina produkter. Målet med projektet blev därför att presentera hur ett solskydd från en Polestar modell uppfyller C2C-kraven, samt att ta fram ett koncept och prototyp som potentiellt kan få en C2C-certifiering. Projektet syftade även till att presentera viktiga slutsatser om hur C2C påverkar produktutvecklingsprocessen. Projektet delades in i två huvuddelar, en djupare studie av C2C och en konceptuell designstudie. Arbetet började med att undersöka uppbyggnaden samt kraven för C2C. Dessa jämfördes sedan mot Polestars solskydd. Flera produktutvecklingsfaser genomfördes med Bootcamp bootleg- och C2C processen för att ta fram koncept som kunde möta kraven från C2C och Polestar. Dessa presenterades sedan för en fokusgrupp i syfte att välja ut ett koncept att utveckla vidare. Resultatet är ett konceptuellt solskydd som är väl anpassat för C2C. Konceptet har stort fokus på hållbara och säkra material, gedigna funktioner för cirkuläritet, med ett extra fokus på en enkel demonteringsprocess. Konceptet bedöms enligt projektgruppen besitta potentialen för den tredje högsta rankingen i C2C certifieringen. Projektet resulterade även i en fysisk prototyp för att presentera konceptet, funktioner och material.

Problem och syfte: Den här uppsatsen undersöker styrning av produktutvecklingsprocesser ur en cirkulär kontext. Till följd av ökad konkurrens och globalisering så har företag börjat överväga andra affärsmodeller som till exempel cirkulär ekonomi. Tidigare forskning har slagit fast att Stage gate är ett viktigt styrverktyg i produktutvecklingsprocessen. På grund av den ökande forskningen inom cirkulär ekonomi blir det av stor nytta att undersöka produktutvecklingsprocesser i en cirkulär kontext samt styrningen av den. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur produktutvecklingsprocesser i företag som arbetar med cirkularitet styrs. Metod: Det är en kvalitativ studie som bygger på en flerfallstudie. Semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts. Slutsats: Många forskare har under lång tid definierat produktutvecklingsprocesser som ett antal faser. Med hänsyn till cirkularitet så har studien funnit att strukturen av produktutvecklingsprocessen inte skiljer sig avsevärt från det teorin föreslår. Däremot nämner en majoritet av företagen att arbetet med cirkularitet har adderat en ytterligare dimension att diskutera i de olika faserna. Vad gäller styrningen av produktutvecklingsprocessen i en cirkulär kontext så finns det vissa saker som skiljer sig. Den främsta skillnaden är i vilken grad vissa styrverktyg används. Studien visade att den informella styrningen och den administrativa styrningen med Stage gate har en avgörande roll i utvecklingsprocessen. Slutligen har studien identifierat specifika styrmedel i specifika faser av produktutvecklingsprocessen. / Background and purpose: This essay investigates the management control in the context of the product development process with a focus on circularity. Following the rapid increase in competition as well as globalization, companies have begun to consider different types of business models such as circular economy. A couple of different articles have concluded that Stage gate is a great tool for controlling the product development process. Because of the increased growth in terms of research within the circular economy it is of great importance to study the product development process in a circularity context, as well as the control of it. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate how the product development process in companies adapting circularity is controlled.  Method: It is a qualitative study based on a case study design. Semi structured interviews have been conducted Conclusion: Many researchers have defined the product development process as a set of phases for a long time. With regards to circularity the structure of the product development process doesn’t seem to differentiate a lot from what the theory suggests. Although, a majority of the companies in the study suggest that the work with circularity has added another dimension to discuss in the phases. When it comes to the control aspect of the product development process in a circularity context, there are some aspects that differ from the theory. The main difference is the emphasis companies put on certain control tools. The study found that informal control and the administrative control tool Stage gate has a major role in the process. Lastly, the study has identified specific control aspects in specific phases of the product development process.

The aim of the thesis was to show that it is possible to develop a sustainable product of a discarded material and provide a framework for how to do that. A great amount of discarded material is today put on landfill due to its low value and difficulties to use. But putting the waste on landfill is the least preferred way of handling it, especially when the resources in the world are not infinite. It is therefore of importance that we find another way of handling the discarded material, which is why this thesis was written.  During the work has a qoute by McDonough and Braungart (2002) been kept in mind, reminding us, as product designers,  of the responsibilty we have  for future generations well-being.  “How can we love the children of all species– not just our own – for all time?” – McDonough and Braungart. 2002. Remaking the way we want things, pp 168. This thesis consisted of three phases. In phase 1 the plastic WEEEBR (a recycled plastic blend from waste from electrical and electronic equipment) was evaluated and a suitable product for it was found. Phase 2 started with a market research trying to find a market opportunity for that product. Thereafter several concepts for the product was developed. The last phase, phase 3, analyzed and evaluated the two previous phases in order to summarize the process and develop a method for how to put requirements on future products.   Phase 1 and 2 are shortly described, thereafter follows the analysis of them. The proposed method are exemplified with concepts and results from phase 1 and 2. The result of the thesis was a method based on following 6 steps: Agree to the company’s vision Evaluate what available material you have Evaluate your technical possibilites with the material Highlight a market possibility Set product requirements Develop the concept This method is generic and shall be used as a guide when developing sustainable products. Developing sustainable products include thinking about what material you have. It is worth thinking about if the product shall be produced locally, with local material and also how the material should be handled after it is used and at last where it ends up. / Waste to Design / Closing the loop

O impacto ambiental relacionado à exploração de recursos naturais, às emissões de carbono, mudanças climáticas, pegada ecológica e nível de desenvolvimento humano pode ser considerado um problema decorrente do fluxo linear de produção-consumo. Reconhecer a necessidade de mudança é importante, e investigar formas de viabilizá-la deve ser o objetivo dentro da Engenharia de Produção. Por isto esta pesquisa tem foco no estudo de iniciativas reais de desenvolvimento de produtos ambientalmente amigáveis e de seus resultados frente ao conceito cíclico berço ao berço (Cradle to Cradle - C2C)1, tratado como estratégia e/ou meta no desenvolvimento de produtos e processos produtivos. O conceito berço ao berço postula que produtos e seus componentes devem ser criados para, ao final de seu uso, serem reutilizados com suas propriedades não desgastadas, como nutrientes tecnológicos no chamado metabolismo tecnológico, ou então voltarem à natureza como nutrientes biológicos e não como poluentes, através do metabolismo biológico. Adota-se o conceito berço ao berço como aglutinador de vários outros conceitos discutidos dentro de diversas áreas do conhecimento, como engenharia, desenho industrial e arquitetura. O trabalho aplicado foi realizado por meio da análise da cadeia calçadista, visando estudar as iniciativas ambientais atuais. Este setor tem características similares a vários outros, tais como alcance global, considerável impacto ambiental e economico, centralização da manufatura e complexa cadeia produtiva e de distribuição. São apresentados estudos de casos em empresas no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos, dois países em que as empresas têm modelos de negócios distintos em relação ao desenvolvimento e produção do calçado. As iniciativas ambientais estudadas mostram que há ênfase principalmente no projeto do produto, para enfrentar os problemas ambientais mais proeminentes da insdústria calçadista, os quais se enquadram dentro das cinco principais áreas envolvidas no conceito e avaliadas na certificação berço ao berço, como toxicidade de materiais e processos produtivos, fim de ciclo de vida, consumo de água e energia e responsabilidade social. As metas e os resultados alcançados variam de acordo com as particularidades associadas ao modelo de negócio, público alvo e nicho de mercado de cada empresa. / Environmental issues related to the exploitation of natural resources, carbon emissions, climate change, ecological footprint and human development can be considered problems originated by the current linear production-consumption structure. Recognizing the need for change is essential, and investigating ways to make such transformations possible is a key objective in Industrial Engineering. The present work focuses on the study of relevant sustainable product development initiatives and of their results from a perspective based on the cyclic cradle to cradle (C2C) concept, used as a strategy and/or goal in product development and production processes. The cradle to cradle concept postulates that products and their components must be created so that, at the end of the service life, they can be reused without loss of quality as technological nutrients, in a process referred to as technological metabolism, or instead returned to the environment as biological nutrients and not as pollutants, in a process known as biological metabolism. The cradle to cradle concept is adopted as an umbrella under which a number of other related concepts discussed in several fields, such as engineering, industrial design and architecture, can be found. The applied work has been conducted in the footwear industry, in order to study current environmental initiatives. This industry has characteristics that are similar to many other sectors (e.g., global reach, large economic and environmental impact, centralized manufacturing, complex supply chain and distribution networks), and a few companies have developed pioneering efforts to transform their production processes, focusing mainly on product design and starting with the evaluation of the more prominent problems facing their products, each dealing with the particularities associated with individual business models, target audience and market share. Case studies have been performed on footwear companies located both in Brazil and in the United States, two countries with markedly different business models regarding the development and production of this kind of product. Most initiatives do involve the main areas highlighted in the cradle to cradle approach – namely materials use and reutilization, water use, energy consumption and social responsibility – even though companies may follow different strategies to tackle the problems, with varying levels of implementation and results obtained.

O impacto ambiental relacionado à exploração de recursos naturais, às emissões de carbono, mudanças climáticas, pegada ecológica e nível de desenvolvimento humano pode ser considerado um problema decorrente do fluxo linear de produção-consumo. Reconhecer a necessidade de mudança é importante, e investigar formas de viabilizá-la deve ser o objetivo dentro da Engenharia de Produção. Por isto esta pesquisa tem foco no estudo de iniciativas reais de desenvolvimento de produtos ambientalmente amigáveis e de seus resultados frente ao conceito cíclico berço ao berço (Cradle to Cradle - C2C)1, tratado como estratégia e/ou meta no desenvolvimento de produtos e processos produtivos. O conceito berço ao berço postula que produtos e seus componentes devem ser criados para, ao final de seu uso, serem reutilizados com suas propriedades não desgastadas, como nutrientes tecnológicos no chamado metabolismo tecnológico, ou então voltarem à natureza como nutrientes biológicos e não como poluentes, através do metabolismo biológico. Adota-se o conceito berço ao berço como aglutinador de vários outros conceitos discutidos dentro de diversas áreas do conhecimento, como engenharia, desenho industrial e arquitetura. O trabalho aplicado foi realizado por meio da análise da cadeia calçadista, visando estudar as iniciativas ambientais atuais. Este setor tem características similares a vários outros, tais como alcance global, considerável impacto ambiental e economico, centralização da manufatura e complexa cadeia produtiva e de distribuição. São apresentados estudos de casos em empresas no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos, dois países em que as empresas têm modelos de negócios distintos em relação ao desenvolvimento e produção do calçado. As iniciativas ambientais estudadas mostram que há ênfase principalmente no projeto do produto, para enfrentar os problemas ambientais mais proeminentes da insdústria calçadista, os quais se enquadram dentro das cinco principais áreas envolvidas no conceito e avaliadas na certificação berço ao berço, como toxicidade de materiais e processos produtivos, fim de ciclo de vida, consumo de água e energia e responsabilidade social. As metas e os resultados alcançados variam de acordo com as particularidades associadas ao modelo de negócio, público alvo e nicho de mercado de cada empresa. / Environmental issues related to the exploitation of natural resources, carbon emissions, climate change, ecological footprint and human development can be considered problems originated by the current linear production-consumption structure. Recognizing the need for change is essential, and investigating ways to make such transformations possible is a key objective in Industrial Engineering. The present work focuses on the study of relevant sustainable product development initiatives and of their results from a perspective based on the cyclic cradle to cradle (C2C) concept, used as a strategy and/or goal in product development and production processes. The cradle to cradle concept postulates that products and their components must be created so that, at the end of the service life, they can be reused without loss of quality as technological nutrients, in a process referred to as technological metabolism, or instead returned to the environment as biological nutrients and not as pollutants, in a process known as biological metabolism. The cradle to cradle concept is adopted as an umbrella under which a number of other related concepts discussed in several fields, such as engineering, industrial design and architecture, can be found. The applied work has been conducted in the footwear industry, in order to study current environmental initiatives. This industry has characteristics that are similar to many other sectors (e.g., global reach, large economic and environmental impact, centralized manufacturing, complex supply chain and distribution networks), and a few companies have developed pioneering efforts to transform their production processes, focusing mainly on product design and starting with the evaluation of the more prominent problems facing their products, each dealing with the particularities associated with individual business models, target audience and market share. Case studies have been performed on footwear companies located both in Brazil and in the United States, two countries with markedly different business models regarding the development and production of this kind of product. Most initiatives do involve the main areas highlighted in the cradle to cradle approach – namely materials use and reutilization, water use, energy consumption and social responsibility – even though companies may follow different strategies to tackle the problems, with varying levels of implementation and results obtained.

Orientadora: Profª Drª. Liliane Iten Chaves / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Artes, Comunicação e Design, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Design. Defesa: Curitiba, 29/02/2016 / Inclui referências : f. 147-150 / Resumo: Esta pesquisa apresenta possibilidades de inserção de práticas sustentáveis no processo produtivo têxtil, a partir de uma abordagem sistêmica e sustentável em design. Investigou-se a possibilidade de propor o principal conceito da teoria Cradle to Cradle - a Ecoefetividade - no contexto das indústrias têxteis ou de confecção em Santa Catarina. A pesquisa iniciou com uma Revisão Bibliográfica Sistemática (RBS), posteriormente foi realizada uma Revisão Bibliográfica Exploratória, somando-se dados coletados em Instituições como SENAI e FIESC. O levantamento de literaturas existentes construiu a fundamentação teórica, com ênfase na teoria Cradle to Cradle do designer William McDonough e do químico Michael Braungart. Devido a indústria têxtil possuir especificidades e uma cadeia produtiva complexa, a pesquisa configurouse como um Estudo de Caso. A coleta de dados deu-se com entrevistas semiestruturadas de resposta aberta, aplicadas a seis steakholders de uma indústria de médio porte do norte catarinense e com a utilização da observação direta, sendo aplicado a observação espontânea e a observação sistemática, elaboradas conjuntamente com a entrevista. A pesquisa contempla uma Fundamentação teórica sobre Design para a sustentabilidade, a construção do Método de pesquisa de um Estudo de Caso, com todos os preceitos de Ecoeficiência e de Ecoefetividade. A estratégia de análise expõe os dados coletados de forma sistemática, apresentando os resultados em concordância com os objetivos de pesquisa. O conjunto do documento promove subsídios para esta Dissertação de Mestrado, que pretende contribuir com a sociedade acadêmica e industrial, e disseminar informações sobre práticas de sustentabilidade aplicáveis no setor têxtil e de confecção, que permitam embasamento específico para a construção de novos projetos de design. Palavras-chave: Indústria têxtil, Sustentabilidade, Design têxtil sustentável. / Abstract: This research presents possibilities of integration of sustainable practices in the textile production process, from a systemic and sustainable approach to design. We investigated the possibility of proposing the main concept of the theory Cradle to Cradle - the Ecoefetividade - in the context of textiles or clothing in Santa Catarina. The research began with a Bibliographical Systematic Review (RBS) a Literature Review Exploratory was subsequently held, adding to data collected from institutions such as SENAI and FIESC. The survey of existing literature built the theoretical foundation, emphasizing the theory Cradle to Cradle designer William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart. Because the textile industry has specific and complex production chain, the research was configured as a case study. The data was collected with semistructured interviews with open response, applied to six steakholders of a medium-sized industry in Santa Catarina North and the use of direct observation, applied spontaneous observation and systematic observation, developed jointly with interview. The research includes a theoretical Grounds on design for sustainability, the construction of the research method of a case study, with all the precepts of eco-efficiency and Ecoefetividade. The analysis strategy exposes the data collected systematically, presenting the results in accordance with the research objectives. The document set promotes subsidies for this Master thesis, which aims to contribute to the academic and industrial society, and disseminate information about sustainability practices applicable in the textile and apparel sector that allow specific basis for the construction of new design projects. keywords: Textile industry, sustainability, Sustainable textile design.

O impacto ambiental relacionado à exploração de recursos naturais, às emissões de carbono, mudanças climáticas, pegada ecológica e nível de desenvolvimento humano pode ser considerado um problema decorrente do fluxo linear de produção-consumo. Reconhecer a necessidade de mudança é importante, e investigar formas de viabilizá-la deve ser o objetivo dentro da Engenharia de Produção. Por isto esta pesquisa tem foco no estudo de iniciativas reais de desenvolvimento de produtos ambientalmente amigáveis e de seus resultados frente ao conceito cíclico berço ao berço (Cradle to Cradle - C2C)1, tratado como estratégia e/ou meta no desenvolvimento de produtos e processos produtivos. O conceito berço ao berço postula que produtos e seus componentes devem ser criados para, ao final de seu uso, serem reutilizados com suas propriedades não desgastadas, como nutrientes tecnológicos no chamado metabolismo tecnológico, ou então voltarem à natureza como nutrientes biológicos e não como poluentes, através do metabolismo biológico. Adota-se o conceito berço ao berço como aglutinador de vários outros conceitos discutidos dentro de diversas áreas do conhecimento, como engenharia, desenho industrial e arquitetura. O trabalho aplicado foi realizado por meio da análise da cadeia calçadista, visando estudar as iniciativas ambientais atuais. Este setor tem características similares a vários outros, tais como alcance global, considerável impacto ambiental e economico, centralização da manufatura e complexa cadeia produtiva e de distribuição. São apresentados estudos de casos em empresas no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos, dois países em que as empresas têm modelos de negócios distintos em relação ao desenvolvimento e produção do calçado. As iniciativas ambientais estudadas mostram que há ênfase principalmente no projeto do produto, para enfrentar os problemas ambientais mais proeminentes da insdústria calçadista, os quais se enquadram dentro das cinco principais áreas envolvidas no conceito e avaliadas na certificação berço ao berço, como toxicidade de materiais e processos produtivos, fim de ciclo de vida, consumo de água e energia e responsabilidade social. As metas e os resultados alcançados variam de acordo com as particularidades associadas ao modelo de negócio, público alvo e nicho de mercado de cada empresa. / Environmental issues related to the exploitation of natural resources, carbon emissions, climate change, ecological footprint and human development can be considered problems originated by the current linear production-consumption structure. Recognizing the need for change is essential, and investigating ways to make such transformations possible is a key objective in Industrial Engineering. The present work focuses on the study of relevant sustainable product development initiatives and of their results from a perspective based on the cyclic cradle to cradle (C2C) concept, used as a strategy and/or goal in product development and production processes. The cradle to cradle concept postulates that products and their components must be created so that, at the end of the service life, they can be reused without loss of quality as technological nutrients, in a process referred to as technological metabolism, or instead returned to the environment as biological nutrients and not as pollutants, in a process known as biological metabolism. The cradle to cradle concept is adopted as an umbrella under which a number of other related concepts discussed in several fields, such as engineering, industrial design and architecture, can be found. The applied work has been conducted in the footwear industry, in order to study current environmental initiatives. This industry has characteristics that are similar to many other sectors (e.g., global reach, large economic and environmental impact, centralized manufacturing, complex supply chain and distribution networks), and a few companies have developed pioneering efforts to transform their production processes, focusing mainly on product design and starting with the evaluation of the more prominent problems facing their products, each dealing with the particularities associated with individual business models, target audience and market share. Case studies have been performed on footwear companies located both in Brazil and in the United States, two countries with markedly different business models regarding the development and production of this kind of product. Most initiatives do involve the main areas highlighted in the cradle to cradle approach – namely materials use and reutilization, water use, energy consumption and social responsibility – even though companies may follow different strategies to tackle the problems, with varying levels of implementation and results obtained.