Cradle To Cradle / Remaking the Way We Make Things

Cradle To Cradle poses the question: paper or plastic?
Answer: Neither, we don't need to settle for the least harmful alternative when there are options available that are even better.

Cradle to Cradle is a book written by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. It is about the need for people to consider ecological design in order to prevent tragic consequences to the planet. We are accustomed to an industrial system of "take, make, and waste," but that is destroying everything we are working for. The main point that they are trying to get across is that commerce and nature can co-exist and actually thrive. Their goal is to reinvent human industry in order to create a sustainably prosperous future.

Not only does the book discuss nature-inspired design principles for a better future, the book itself supports those directions. It is printed on a synthetic 'paper' made from resins and inorganic fillers that look and feel like high quality paper. This treeless book is waterproof and rugged and can be recycled in the same place as yogurt containers. The book is an example of a cradle to cradle cycle of how it can be used, recycled, and used again without any loss in quality.

The authors would like to eliminate waste altogether rather than just rely on recycling which actually creates hybrids of biological and technical nutrients that become unrecoverable and unusable. This process is called downcycling as the authors refer to it, or even better just slow motion waste. It's ultimately about doing some good for the environment rather than just doing less harm and the book offers examples of how to achieve this and still make more money along the way.

This book has inspired our next assignment to redesign the package of a product from an environmental standpoint. Our goal is to demonstrate the necessity of cradle to cradle cycles through packaging designs that serve multiple purposes before, during, and after its intended use.

Here are links to buy the book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0865475873/qid=1007157869/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_14_1/002-8374514-3264854

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780865475878