In March 2005, the UN released its Millennium Ecosystem Assessment , the first comprehensive scientific audit of the state of the planet. Completed over four years by 2,000 experts, the survey demonstrates that economic activity has destroyed 60% of the Earth's life-supporting ecosystems, threatening humanity's ability to sustain its standards of living. Thus, even though the Industrial Revolution has brought about a tremendous rise in the standards of living of most in the Western World, and although globalization is spreading this wealth to an increasing number of people in the developing world, a growing number of worrisome environmental trends suggest that our current economic model is not sustainable in the medium- to short- run.
[...] Building the infrastructure necessary for closing the loop 43 Exhibits 46 Exhibit 1 Human and ecological health criteria in MBDC's materials assessment protocol 46 Exhibit 2 - Final C2C score assessment for fictional product X 47 Exhibit 3 - Material chemistry assessment for fictional product X 48 Exhibit 4 - Disassembly assessment for fictional product X 49 Exhibit 5 - Recyclability + recycled/renewable content assessment for fictional product X 50 Exhibit 6 Plastic recyclability 51 Exhibit 7 Cradle to cradle iteration process at Herman Miller 52 In March 2005, the UN released its Millennium Ecosystem Assessment[1], the first comprehensive scientific audit of the state of the planet. [...]
[...] Cradle to Cradle Design models human industry on nature's processes, in which materials are viewed as nutrients circulating in healthy, safe metabolisms. Industry must protect and enrich ecosystems—nature's biological metabolism—while also maintaining safe, productive technical metabolism for the high-quality use and circulation of mineral, synthetic, and other materials.”[30] a. Nature as a source of inspiration for design Using nature as a source of inspiration for our economies is an idea that is fast gaining momentum years ago, in The Ecology of Commerce[31], Paul Hawken explained that restorative economy envisioned and described in this book . [...]
[...] For example, HM explains that “polyurethane foam containing Brominated Flame Retardants were eliminated when the design team decided not to use traditional foam materials for seat and back support. Interestingly, environmental concerns were not the motivating force behind eliminating the foam cushions. Rather the motivation was increased chair performance: increased breathability and comfort keep the body cool by creating open spine and seating. The elimination of foam cushions exemplifies how product and environmental performance can be simultaneously enhanced through design choices.” As a result of the MBDC material assessment, as well as consumer demand and shareholder pressure, Herman Miller decided to rule out PVC after 2001. [...]
[...] Meadows et al., The Limits to Growth, Universe Books, New York Michael Braungart and William McDonough, Between Biology, Technology and Culture: Building a cradle-to-cradle framework for the biotech debate, green@work, November/December 2003 Available at: http://www.greenatworkmag.com/gwsubaccess/03novdec/perspect.html http://www.mbdc.com/c2c_gkc.htm Michael Braungart and William McDonough, Between Biology, Technology and Culture: Building a cradle-to-cradle framework for the biotech debate, green@work, November/December 2003 Available at: http://www.greenatworkmag.com/gwsubaccess/03novdec/perspect.html Michael Braungart and Bill McDonough, Cradle to Cradle, Remaking the Way We Make Things, North Point Press http://www.natureworksllc.com/corporate/nw_pack_home.asp http://www.mbdc.com/c2c_gkc.htm Clean Product Action, http://www.cleanproduction.org/epr/ExistingPrograms.htm http://www.patagonia.com/enviro/pcr.shtml http://www.mbdc.com/c2c_gkc.htm Herman Miller Design for the Environment Program Advances Company's Sustainability Protocol for New Product Development, Press Release Herman Miller Environmental Brochure http://www.tropicalforestfoundation.org/ Herman Miller Environmental Brochure http://www.epa.gov/dfe/ Michael Braungart and William McDonough, The Anatomy of a Transformation, Herman Miller's Journey To Sustainability with MBDC Conference Call with Herman Miller, 09/03/2005 Conference Call with Herman Miller, 09/03/2005 Michael Braungart and William McDonough, The Anatomy of a Transformation, Herman Miller's Journey To Sustainability with MBDC Michael Braungart and William McDonough, The Anatomy of a Transformation, Herman Miller's Journey To Sustainability with MBDC Herman Miller Design for the Environment Program Advances Company's Sustainability Protocol for New Product Development, Press Release Herman Miller Design for the Environment Program Advances Company's Sustainability Protocol for New Product Development, Press Release Conference call with Shelley Zimmer, 12/04/2005 Conference Call with Herman Miller, 09/03/2005 Conference Call with Herman Miller, 09/03/2005 Mark Rossi, Scott Charon, Gabe Wing, and James Ewell, Design for the Next Generation: Incorporating Cradle to Cradle Design into Herman Miller Products, June 2005 Michael Braungart and William McDonough, The Anatomy of a Transformation, Herman Miller's Journey To Sustainability with MBDC Michael Braungart and William McDonough, The Anatomy of a Transformation, Herman Miller's Journey To Sustainability with MBDC Michael Braungart and William McDonough, The Anatomy of a Transformation, Herman Miller's Journey To Sustainability with MBDC Michael Braungart and William McDonough, The Anatomy of a Transformation, Herman Miller's Journey To Sustainability with MBDC [67]Conference call with Shelley Zimmer, 12/04/2005 Net Impact Conference, Workshop on Clean Products: Environmental Design and Materials Use, 11/12/2005 Conference call with Shelley Zimmer, 12/04/2005 Conference Call with Herman Miller, 09/03/2005 Conference Call with Herman Miller, 09/03/2005 Conference call with Shelley Zimmer, 12/04/2005 Mark Rossi, Scott Charon, Gabe Wing, and James Ewell, Design for the Next Generation: Incorporating Cradle to Cradle Design into Herman Miller Products, June 2005 Mark Rossi, Scott Charon, Gabe Wing, and James Ewell, Design for the Next Generation: Incorporating Cradle to Cradle Design into Herman Miller Products, June 2005 Mark Rossi, Scott Charon, Gabe Wing, and James Ewell, Design for the Next Generation: Incorporating Cradle to Cradle Design into Herman Miller Products, June 2005 Mark Rossi, Scott Charon, Gabe Wing, and James Ewell, Design for the Next Generation: Incorporating Cradle to Cradle Design into Herman Miller Products, June 2005 Mark Rossi, Scott Charon, Gabe Wing, and James Ewell, [...]
[...] IV- How to apply C2C to product design Here is how McDonough and Braungart define the cradle to cradle process: “Cradle-to-cradle thinking allows us to design everything we make as a nutrient, a product or material with regenerative qualities. Just as in the natural world, in which one organism's waste cycles through an ecosystem to provide nourishment for other living things, cradle-to-cradle materials circulate in closed loop cycles, or metabolisms, providing nutrients for nature or industry.” We will now examine these principles in more details. [...]
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