Infographic: Overview of Cradle to Cradle® (C2C) Remaking the Way We Make Things
True recycling is when all materials can be used repeatedly within nature or industry as biological or technical nutrients.
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) design enhances quality and adds value by taking inspiration from nature, where everything is a nutrient for something else: waste = food. C2C is the antithesis of the “Cradle to Grave” paradigm, where products disappear in landfills or incinerate at the end of their useful life.
The C2C paradigm sets design principles based on renewable energy and materials recycling in continuous pathways. This innovative approach encourages a new and profitable model for business, by redefining the way design decisions are made that encourage a shift from “doing less bad” to “doing good,” creating long-term positive effects on the environment and human health. (Some passages courtesy Philips Electronics)
Biological Nutrients:
Organic materials that, once used, can be disposed of in the natural environment and decomposed in the soil, providing benefits to life forms.
Technical Nutrients:
Materials that can be used in continuous metabolisms without losing their integrity or quality. In this manner these materials can be used over and over again instead of being “downcycled” into undefined products, ultimately becoming waste.
Click here to read more about Cradle to Cradle: Transitioning from Waste Incineration to Beneficial Materials by Dr. Michael Braungart, Supervising Author.
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