• We are optimists

    Yes, we know. The current site shows many negative trends. We have found it necessary to illustrate these, to make the argument that something has to change.

    And we believe that change is possible. In fact, it’s possible to change pretty much every single one of the negative trends. We already have the tools to do it. It’s just a question of getting started for real – and things are already happening.


    • companies are getting more serious about their social and environmental profile (corporate social responsibility – CSR),

    • the markets for organic, fairtrade products are growing every year,

    • socially responsible investments are on the rise,

    • the potential of clean, green energy is humongous,

    • and a revolutionary concept (Cradle to Cradle) holds great promise…

    Cradle to cradle design

    Cradle to cradle thinking represents an very optimistic vision for the future. The idea is for products not to be “less bad” but to be positively good for the environment. What about a car that purifies air when driven, or a house that produces more green energy than it needs?

    Right now, most of our economy in based on a cradle to grave system: the stuff we buy goes through a process of extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and waste. Watch a video of how this system works on the Story of Stuff.

    This is a linear system, and because we have a limited number of resources available to us it cannot go on forever. The cradle to cradle concept, on the other hand, implies a circular system of zero waste where materials re-enter into the production-chain after use, or harmlessly into the natural environment.

    The concept is inspired by how things work in nature. In nature, there is no such thing as waste. In fact, waste equals food.

    But can we adopt nature’s way of sustainability and zero waste in our industrial production processes?

    Sure. But it requires a different way of thinking.

    The problem with “reducing”

    There is a lot of hype about the idea of “eco-efficiency” – the way we currently deal with most of our environmental challenges. In short, eco-efficiency is based on the concept of creating more goods and services while using fewer resources and creating less waste and pollution. The key word is reducing.

    The problem with “reducing” is that it merely slows down the process of destruction.

    “Relying on eco-efficiency to save the environment will in fact achieve the opposite; it will let industry finish off everything, quietly, persistently and completely.”

    From the book “Cradle to Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things"

    In their book, Braungart and McDonough use the metaphor of hitting a child two times instead of three – it is still bad!

    Or look at it in yet another way. By the end of this century, world population could double, and the world economy could grow a massive 26 times bigger than it is today. If we merely reduce our negative impact, it will simply not be good enough. Not even by a long shot. We MUST change our focus to start doing good instead of continuing doing less bad.

    Be good!

    Instead of a future where we aim to reduce everything, we can enjoy the benefits of the consumer society while being an integral part of the ecosystem – not an autonomous entity destroying it.

    “Our goal is delightfully, diverse, safe, healthy and just world, with clean air, water, soil and power – economically, equitably, ecologically and elegantly enjoyed”.

    The vision of the writers of “Cradle to cradle”

    Instead of setting maximum levels for materials that are known to be bad, we must use materials that are known to be good.

    That sounds pretty cool!

    Important cradle to cradle concepts are:

    • Waste equals food. Eliminate the concept of waste.
    • Use current solar income. Power with renewable energy.
    • Celebrate diversity. Respect human & natural systems.
    • Technical nutrients. Produce and build using materials which can be used many times over without any loss in quality, staying in a continuous “technical” cycle.
    • Biological nutrients. Use organic materials that can safely decompose into the natural environment.

    Not just a fuzzy concept: Examples of cradle to cradle design

    Here are some real world examples of Cradle to Cradle design. They are not perfect, but they are moving the right direction.

    Industrial ecology

    Industrial ecology refers to the exchange of materials between different industrial sectors where the waste output of one industry becomes the input of another.

    One of the best known example of industrial ecology is located in Kalundborg, Denmark. Here, an industrial ecosystem has been established which involves an oil refinery, a gyproc factory, a pharmaceutical firm, a fish farm, a coal-fired electrical power station and the municipality of Kalundborg, among others.

    They have developed a web of relationships that funnel heat, energy and byproducts from one to the other. For example, gas captured from the oil refinery which had previously been flared off is now sent to the electrical power station which expects to save the equivalent of 30,000 tons of coal a year. Surplus heat from the power plant is used to heat about 4,500 private homes and water for fish farming. Ash is supplied for the production of cement.

    The symbiosis has grown over the years to include partners from other districts, as well as farmers and the participating companies are constantly co-operating to find new ways of improving the industrial symbiosis.

    Living on “current solar income”

    In just 65 minutes the sun provides us with enough energy to power the world for a year. Of course, we cannot take advantage of all of it. But a tiny fraction would be more than enough.

    It can be done. The municipalities of Thy and Mors in Denmark is the worlds largest area where electricity is produced entirely from renewable sources. Moreover, 85 percent of all heating is from “green” energy, and less than 1 percent comes from fossil fuels.

    Watch the inspiring video

    The cradle to cradle book itself

    The book itself is an example of cradle to cradle design.

    In making paper, you have two options:

    1. You can cut down a tree to make clean, high-quality paper. But on a large scale this involves massive deforestation and the destruction of ecosystems.
    2. You can recycle old paper. However, paper fibers get shorter and shorter the more they’re recycled, requiring more and more environmentally questionable chemicals (bleaches, stabilizers, etc.) to produce a product of less quality than the original.

    Finally, the chemicals that are involved in the creation of either kind of paper remain in the environment long after the paper fibers themselves decompose.

    So option (1) is bad, and option (2) is “less bad”.

    As an actually “good” alternative, Braungart and McDonough made the first version of their book from materials that can be indefinitely recycled. If you send this book back to the manufacturer it can be recycled into other books with close to zero loss in overall quality.

    The challenge

    It will be a huge challenge to change the operation of our consumer society. But it is possible – and very necessary. Visionary responsible companies exist. Our goal is to help you find them.

    So become part of the new industrial revolution. And be good ☺

    More

    Cradle to cradle principles

    Industrial ecology