Rockin' Cradle To Cradle

Many people ask me about Cradle To Cradle and inquire, "is that a baby store?" That is a good guess based on the name. There are Cradle To Cradle-certified diapers, but here is the 1 minute scoop:

Cradle To Cradle is the green design framework and philosophy co-created by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. In our world today, we have a cradle to grave system where we make things, buy things, and then throw them "away". Look at your trash and you will see a mashup of bio and techno pieces glued and fused together. It's kind of crazy really. Look at all of those valuable raw materials heading for the crusher. Some items like plastic bags and packaging are tragically designed to last virtually forever but are thrown away in an instant. Bill asks, "Where is this away?  It has gone away."

Per Bill, design is the signal of human intention. What is the intention of a cradle to grave system?  It squanders scarce resources and leaves a trash heap for the next generation. What if we wanted to leave behind a positive legacy, and design in a way that is regenerative and self-sustaining for the planet?

In nature, there is no waste. It is pretty brilliant. Cradle To Cradle is new modern way of designing that minimizes waste. It says that everything can be divided up into two categories: biological nutrients and technical nutrients. And these nutrients all have value that can be captured and reused. Biological nutrients are biodegradable and can be returned to soil, such as a banana peel or a cup made out of corn. Technical nutrients can be reused over and over in closed cycles, such as metals and plastics.

In Cradle To Cradle, things are designed with their next life in mind. They can be disassembled easily into bio and techno components. "Materials have passports to the future." Solar power and renewable energy are used significantly. "We have the greatest source of nuclear power shining down on us every day, the sun."  And all materials are healthy and safe. No toxins allowed.

Products can now be certified as officially Cradle To Cradle. See their new exciting Cradle To Cradle certification here. Some of the initial product stars include gDiapers, Steelcase, MechoShades, and if you can believe it, the United States Post Office envelopes. Look out for the Cradle To Cradle infinity stamp on extra eco products.

Bill is brilliant but don't try to turn him into a celebrity per se. He is a designer first and foremost, and he designs "stuff". And pretty darn fabulous green stuff at that.

The Cradle to Cradle book is one of my favorites of all time. And you can read it while sitting in a swimming pool because it is not printed on paper. Splash.