The past two decades have seen manufacturing progressing towards a ‘disposable product’ route which eventually results in the entire product ending its life cycle in landfill even if only part of the product becomes unusable or unsafe. Unfortunately, there is also a tendency for humans to become ‘disposable’ too as their roles as employees are replaced by new technologies, robots and fully automated factories. The resulting replacement of humans has the added disadvantage of a loss of ingenuity, resourcefulness, inventiveness and all the human qualities that have created our world, our societies and our workplaces. Could it be that humans and their careers have become part of a valueless society dominated by disposable products? The recent publication by the European Union titled “ERA Industrial Technologies Roadmap on Human-Centric Research and Innovation for the manufacturing sector” examines the implementation of Industry 5.0 into European industries and provides a roadmap to support a human centric digital transition in Europe for the benefit of the European Union’s economy. This paper poses the question: What if product classification, borne from an ‘Ecological Certification Index’, could be established prior to manufacture? It would be similar to the ‘Declaration of Performance Certification’ currently required in the construction industry but adapted for the manufacturing platform, collating the essentially required criteria before the product is vetoed for manufacturing. This would ensure that the product meets the requirements of the protocols and sustainability guidelines. The European Union must maintain the efforts to grow sustainable industries, protect the future of society and envisage the survival of our earth as it faces climate changes, waste management crises and a growing population.