Cradle to Grave Design Paradigm

For a long period, natural resources were viewed as being inexhaustible. As such, during the first industrial revolution its technological advancements and the resultant increased demand, they were extracted and consumed in ever-increasing quantities. A system established itself which took, produced and then threw away and in terms of material flow could be described as “cradle to grave”. Despite present day knowledge of the finite nature of natural resources and the damage caused by their extraction, industry is still producing in the manner it always has done staying true to this outdated model.
Raw materials are taken and turned into products, are sold and then usually end up in waste dumps or incineration plants whereby the materials’ value are then lost forever. The Cradle to Cradle® design concept offers an alternative to the present method of production whereby materials become nutrients that move within metabolic cycles and the concept of waste – as we know it - does not exist



the vision....

The terms “Eco-efficiency” and “Eco-efficacy“are often used interchangeably. There is, however, a significant difference between the two. Rather than minimizing the material flows, eco-efficacy proposes the idea of transforming products and their respective material flows so that a workable relationship between ecological systems and economic growth is made possible. The aim here then is not to reduce or delay the cradle to grave material flow but rather to create metabolisms that allow for methods of production that are true to nature and in which materials are used over and over again. The eco-efficiency approach takes into consideration only quantifiable parameters which outline those problems that should be minimized (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions) whereas the eco-efficacy approach additionally factors in qualifying parameters (e.g. the use of carbon dioxide as a nutrient). Cradle to Cradle^®-design seeks to superimpose the principle of quality before quantity onto industrial systems. Materials and material flows are then designed in such a manner so as to be beneficial in terms of the regeneration of their biological and technological sources. Such an approach frees us from our current responsibility and duty to reduce or slow down any negative environmental effects our behavior has. As such, we can be freed from the restraints placed upon us as a result of our prevalent culture of self-blame.

Waste equals Food

The processes of every single organism in a living system contribute to the health and well-being of the system as a whole. The leaves of a tree, for example, its “waste”, fall to the ground where they are broken down and become nutrients for other organisms. Microbes feed off this organic "waste" and, as a result, return many valuable nutrients to the soil that the tree can profit from. The “waste” of one organism is thus nutrients for another. Plans made by humans that attempt to replicate this nutrient cycle – cycles in which waste no longer occurs – form the very the foundation of the material flow systems that are a fundamental component of the Cradle to Cradle^® method of production

Nutrient Cycles

The material flows found on earth can be divided into two categories:

Biomass and industrial mass. From our perspective, the two constitute flows of biological and technological nutrients. Intelligent production means that all materials are able to flow within a metabolism, be that a biological or technological one.

In a biological metabolism, lots of materials are broken down by micro-organisms to form new nutrients. Biodegradable products are used as compost which is then used to form a nutrient basis for new natural resources.

All products that are circulating as part of this metabolism are termed consumption products. Certain packaging materials, clothing and parts that wear and tear such as car tyres an brake discs were designed for such a cycle.

A technological metabolism consists of artificially-created and actively-managed material flows. The idea is that industrial mass is allowed to circulate in closed systems whilst maintaining a constant quality level. The fact that the system is a closed one is a prerequisite for the possible use of toxic substances. These substances have proven to be essential in the manufacture of certain products such as insulated windows. The ease of disassembly and the careful choice of materials for a product is a fundamental aspect of the design.

Products and materials in this cycle are called products for service. The name is derived from the concept of a service product. Washing machines, for example, are no longer bought rather their service is used at a charge. As such, this leasing principle means that the material remains in the ownership of the manufacturer and is returned to them after a certain defined period of usage. One advantage of this system is that the manufacturer can use materials of a higher standard and quality.

Glossary

THE NEXT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The emerging movement of human production and commerce that eliminates the concept of waste, uses energy from renewable sources (primarily the sun), and celebrates cultural and biological diversity. The promise of the Next Industrial Revolution is a system of production that fulfils all desires for economic and ecological abundance and social equity in both the short and long terms--becoming sustaining for all generations.

PRODUCT OF CONSUMPTION

A product designed to consist of biological nutrients for its safe and complete return to the natural environment as food for living systems--a component of the biological cycle. The product of consumption offers effectiveness without the liability of materials that must be recycled or "managed" after use.

PRODUCT OF SERVICE

A product designed to consist of technical nutrients (and may or may not contain biological nutrients) that is used by the customer, but in effect, is owned by the manufacturer. The manufacturer maintains ownership of valuable material assets (technical nutrients) for continual re-use, while the customer receives the service of the product without assuming its material liability. Products that utilise valuable but potentially hazardous materials can be optimised as Products of Service.

TECHNICAL CYCLE

(Sometimes referred to as the technical metabolism.) The processes of human industry modelled on natural systems, in which valuable synthetic, metal, mineral and often hazardous materials are perpetually re-used in closed loops. In these "loops," products of service are simply a step along never ending material and energy flows.

TECHNICAL NUTRIENT

A material having the ability to maintain its inherent value by circulating in a closed-loop system (the technical cycle), which includes manufacture, use, recovery and re-use.

UPCYCLING

The practice of recycling material in such a way that it maintains and/or accrues value over time (the opposite of downcycling).

WASTE EQUALS FOOD

One of the three principles of the Cradle to Cradle® Design paradigm, which is the understanding that all products consist of either biological or technical nutrients to be utilised in open biological cycles or closed technical cycles.

BIOLOGICAL CYCLE

(Sometimes referred to as the biological metabolism.) The natural processes of ecosystems in which biological nutrients are re-used in safe and healthy cycles of abundance.

BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT

A material used by living organisms or cells to carry on life processes, such as growth, cell division, synthesis of carbohydrates and other complex functions. Biological nutrients are usually carbon-based compounds and pose no immediate or eventual hazard to living systems. They can be used for human purposes and be safely returned to the environment to feed natural processes.

CRADLE TO CRADLE® DESIGN

A new paradigm of human and natural activity that follows three fundamental principles: 1) the understanding that waste is equal to food for another process, 2) the use of solar energy and 3) the celebration of diversity (biological and cultural diversity, which includes the diversity of skills along supply chains of human lifestyle and industry). Essentially, this paradigm proposes that all of human design can learn from nature to become an effective, safe, enriching, delightful and valuable component of the Earth. Cradle to Cradle® Design models human lifestyle and industry on nature's processes, in which materials are viewed as nutrients circulating in two, healthy and safe metabolisms: the biological cycle, and the technical cycle.

DOWNCYCLING

The practice of recycling a material without defining its future use(s). This results in greater entropy and therefore a decrease in the value and potential of the material for future uses.

ECO-EFFECTIVENESS

The strategy for the safe, regenerative and profitable design of all human activity, producing economic, ecological and social value. This term is a sharp contrast to eco-efficiency, as the intention underlying eco-effectiveness is not to minimise a human ecological footprint, but rather to generate a valuable, nourishing and profitable footprint in either the biological or technical cycles of abundance.

ECO-EFFICIENCY

The strategy of minimising harm to natural systems by reducing the amount of waste and pollution from human activity. A sharp contrast to eco-effectiveness, this term describes the current, popular notion of "saving the environment," where a human ecological footprint is simply reduced.

ECO-INTELLIGENCE

The elegant capacity of materials and processes to embody aspects of natural systems and processes when designed. Such aspects include nutrient cyclability, interdependence, synergies, abundance, diversity, solar energy and regenerative ability.

INTELLIGENT MATERIALS POOLING

A framework for the collaboration of economic actors within the technical cycle, which allows companies to pool material resources, specialised knowledge and purchasing power relating to the acquisition, transformation and sale of technical nutrients and their associated products. The result is a mutually beneficial system of co-operation amongst actors along the supply chain that supports the formation of coherent technical cycles and the enabling of product-service strategies.