Cradle to Cradle – improving the future

Cradle to Cradle is a holistic economic, industrial and social framework which seeks to create systems that are not just efficient but essentially waste free. It models human industry on nature's processes in which materials are viewed as nutrients circulating in healthy, safe metabolisms.

The Cradle to Cradle concept and model is based on the system of lifecycle assessments by biologist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough. In 2002, they released the publication Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things which is a manifesto for Cradle to Cradle design that gives specific details on how to achieve the model.

The overall idea behind Cradle to Cradle is that waste equals food. This means that all products must be able to return to the earths lifecycles. Equally important is the production process which entails; the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency; efficient use of water; maximum water quality associated with production; and instituting strategies for social responsibility.

“Imagine a world in which all the things we make, use, and consume provide nutrition for nature and industry—a world in which growth is good and human activity generates a delightful, restorative ecological footprint.” (Braungart & McDonough 2002)

Products are seen as made by biological and technical nutrients. The biological nutrients are materials designed to flow optimally in the ecosystem such as biodegradable packaging designed to be used and safely returned to the environment to nourish living systems. The technical nutrients are closed-loop systems in which valuable, high-tech synthetics and mineral resources circulate in a perpetual cycle of production, recovery and remanufacture.

Today, Braungart and McDonough run the MBDC, a company which helps other companies to implement the Cradle to Cradle strategy and provides Cradle to Cradle certification to companies and products. The Cradle to Cradle Certification provides a company with a means to tangibly measure achievement in environmentally-intelligent design and helps customers purchase and specify products that are pursuing a broader definition of quality.

The model in its broadest sense is not limited to industrial design and manufacturing. It can be applied to many different aspects of human civilization such as urban environments, buildings, economics and social systems. The model has been implemented by numerous companies, organisations and governments around the world. Watch the interview where William McDonough speaks about Cradle to Cradle – from products to cities.