| The Key to Sustainability: Cradle to Cradle Thinking |
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| Written by Kenneth Pavloff |
| Friday, 15 July 2011 11:39 |
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by GREENWISE JULY, 2011 Sustainability is the key to green living. Almost every green concept emanates from the idea of sustainability. The three Rs—reduce, reuse, recycle—all derive form the concept of sustainability. But in particular two of the 3Rs—reuse and recycle—embody the concept.
A sustainable product has a minimal environmental impact. Ideally, the materials from which a sustainable product is made can all be reused to make a second product when that first product has reached the end its useful life. The best sustainable products are designed from the outset with a good idea of what it will become in its second life. This type thinking has been given a name: cradle to cradle. One product effectively give birth to another. Cradle to cradle design is being touted as the future of sustainability, and for good reason. When as many components of a product can be reused to make a new product, very little is wasted. In an ideal cradle to cradle product, those materials that cannot be reused should be biodegradable and compostable. There is even a Cradle to Cradle Certification available now. Want some examples of cradle to cradle products? Countertops made from 100%recycled glass mixed with cement Method Laundry Detergent, the first Cradle to Cradle Certified liquid detergent made from 95%plant-based materials. Even the container is fully biodegradable and made form 50% recycled plastic. Carpets made from 100% post-consumer recycled nylon My favorite: soccer jerseys made from recycled plastic bottles Sustainable products rely far less on new raw materials because existing raw materials in used products are repurposed. With a growing world population that has a growing appetite for “stuff” sustainability is a must. |
