Cradle to CradleSM is fundamentally different from other approaches to
sustainability. It is a new design paradigm with a positive agenda; what
Time calls "a unified philosophy that -- in demonstrable and practical
ways -- is changing the design of the world."
Cradle to Cradle principles make products possible that are economically
successful, healthy for users and supportive for the environment and
next generations. Their innovative design addresses not only appearance
and functionality. It also addresses the definition of their composition
and enables a new dimension of quality and security of these products
along with their material lifecycles. By integrating economic, social
and environmental aspects, they can be superior to currently produced
and available products.
Instead of designing cradle-to-grave products, dumped in landfills or
incinerators at the end of their 'lives,' Cradle to Cradle transforms
industry by creating products for closed-loop cycles, whose materials
are perpetually circulated in safe, closed loops. Maintaining materials
in closed loops ideally maximizes material value without damaging human
health or ecosystems.
Cradle to Cradle and its eco-effective strategies have positive effects
extending beyond companies to suppliers, customers, communities, and the
natural world.
Eco-Effective Methodology
Cradle to Cradle is based upon an eco-effective strategy for human
industry that is safe, profitable, and regenerative, producing economic,
ecological and social value.
Cradle to Cradle models human industry on nature's processes, in which
materials are viewed as nutrients circulating in healthy, safe
metabolisms. Industry must protect and enrich ecosystems --nature's
biological metabolism -- while also maintaining a safe, productive
technical metabolism for the high-quality use and circulation of
mineral, synthetic, and other materials.
Using these principles, you can create two types of Cradle to Cradle
Products: Those that can be conducted safely either as products of
consumption into biological systems or as products of service into
technical systems for subsequent product generations.
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
In 2002, Cradle to Cradle founders, Chemist Michael Braungart and
architect William McDonough published the book, Cradle to Cradle:
Remaking the Way We Make Things. The book, itself the result of an
innovative design process, has been highly lauded for communicating the
Cradle to Cradle paradigm to the public. This 'treeless' book points the
way toward the day when synthetic books, like many other products, can
be used, recycled, and used again without losing any material quality --
in cradle-to-cradle cycles.
Purchase Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things from the
Material ConneXion bookstore.
Next: Toolkit
Cradle to CradleSM is a service mark of MBDC.
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