Sept. 24, 2007 Three leaders in sustainable-design consulting are collaborating to leverage their expertise, stimulate new products, and boost "cradle to cradle" certification, BusinessWeek reports.

Joining forces are McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, a consultancy that focuses on environmentally friendly product-and-service design and development (with clients such as Nike and Ford); the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), a scientific research institute based in Hamburg, Germany; and Material ConneXion, a New York-headquartered consultant that advises Fortune 500 companies on high-performance materials. The three will collaborate on a series of workshops, share research resources, and conduct cradle to cradle certification.

Eventually, the companies hope to develop new goods and services with their clients. "The goal is to have those who attend [workshops] work with us on product development," says Material ConneXion Vice-President Andrew Dent, who has a doctorate in materials science and spearheads the company's new-materials research.

To date, companies that have participated in the cradle to cradle certification process include office-furniture makers Steelcase and Herman Miller, as well as the U.S. Postal Service.