CRADLE TO CRADLE® Design – An Innovative Tool

SUSTAINABILITY INTERNATIONAL
FORUM

Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart

Rome, Italy
September 30th, 2010
CRADLE TO GRAVE DESIGN PARADIGM
ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS
CRADLE TO GRAVE DESIGN PARADIGM
 GULF OF MEXICO 2010

- AS IF WE NEEDED A NEW CHALLENGE

PRECIOUS SLAG FROM WASTE INCINERATION

• Incineration slag contains 13,000 tonnes/a of copper (average Germany)

• It is worth of $ 100 million per year (Price rate 2009)
Without soil, there is no food!

We have to replace nutrients and carbon in the topsoil!

NEGATIVE IMPACTS FROM COFFEE PRODUCTION

Deforestation Soil Pesticide Use Degradation of Loss of

Degradation Water Quality Biodiversity
LOSS OF TOPSOIL

We lose 4000 – 6000 times more topsoil than we rebuild

OFF-GASING-CHROMATGRAM: CARPET synthetic fiber
OFF-GASING-CHROMATGRAM: CARPET natural fibre
GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY?

EMISSIONS
OFF GASSING: COMPUTER MOUSE
TONER DUST AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY
COST OF POOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY

. Over 40% of children have allergies.

Several decades ago, only 2 – 3% did

• Every third person in the western world has allergy

problems.

• Allergies cost the U.S. health care system $18 billion

annually

SOLUTION: design materials and products for indoor use

Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

ARE WE TOO MANY?

“No goal is more crucial to healing

the global environment than

stabilizing human population.”

Al Gore
ARE WE TOO MANY?
ARE THEY TOO MANY ?
THE BIOMASS OF ANTS IS FOUR TIMES GREATER THAN THAT OF HUMANS
 Human Health

Criteria

Priority Criteria Additional Criteria

• Carcinogenicity* • Acute Toxicity
• Disruption of Endocrine System* • Chronic Toxicity
• Mutagenicity* • Irritation of Skin/Mucous
• Reproductive Toxicity* Membranes
• Teratogenicity* • Sensitization
• Other (e.g., skin penetration
potential, flammability, etc.)

* Known or suspected in humans and/or animals

 Environmental Health Criteria

• Aquatic toxicity
– Fish toxicity
– Daphnia toxicity
– Algae toxicity
• Bioaccumulation (BCF, log Kow)
• Climatic Relevance/Ozone Depletion Potential
• Content of Halogenated Organic Compounds
• Persistence/Biodegradation
• Toxic Heavy Metal Content
• Other (e.g., Water Danger Score, Toxicity to Soil Organisms, etc.)
 Production Process

• Exact Knowledge of Composition

• Resources (Renewable/Nonrenewable)

• Transport Distance

• Energy Input

• Social Criteria

• Genetic Engineering

• Danger of Intermediates/By-Products

• Animal Testing

• Wastes

• Climatic Relevance/Ozone Depletion

© MBDC. All rights reserved.

 Sample Materials Assessment Matrix

Input Total Score Health Hazards

Material S AT IRR CT DES T C M DIS A CF

Material 1 78.36 A C A A A A A A C A

Material 2 88.50 A B A A A A A A B A

Dye 1 58.36 A A B C A A A C C A

Dye 2 58.36 A A C C A A A C C A

Dye 3 58.36 A A C C A A A C C A

Dye 4 58.36 A A C C A A A C C A

Dye 5 58.70 A A C C A A A C A A

Dye 6 58.36 A A C C A A A C C A

Dye 7 58.36 A A C C A A A C C A

Dye 8 58.36 A A C C A A A C C A

© MBDC. All rights reserved.

CRADLE TO GRAVE : TARGET IS ZERO

REDUCTION,
AVOIDANCE,
MINIMIZATION,
PREVENTION.
ECO-EFFICIENCY
CRADLE TO CRADLE® : GOAL IS QUALITY

ECO-EFFECTIVENESS
DEFINE,
INCREASE,
SUPPORT,
OPTIMIZE

ECO-EFFICIENCY
PROGRESS OF QUALITY FROM CRADLE TO CRADLE® WITH TIME

ECO-EFFECTIVENESS

WHERE
CLIENTS AND
SUPPLIERS
REGARD
THEMSELVES AS
PARTNERS,
AIMING FOR THE
HIGHEST
QUALITIES
IDENTIFY THE BEST: ABC-X CATEGORIZATION

OPTIMAL

OPTIMIZING

TOLERABLE

NOT ACCEPTABLE

NOT

CHARACTERIZED
CRADLE TO CRADLE ®
ARCHITECTURE AND CRADLE TO CRADLE®
THE TERMITE WORLD BUILDINGS
"The greenest house
is the one that never
gets built.“

— Whit Faulconer, GreenBlue

?
BEYOND THE LIMITS OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

Eco-effective architecture

• Rematerialization

– Technical and biological cycles

– Integrated with nature‘s nutrient and energy

cycles

• Material chemistry

– Positively defined material chemistry

– e.g. Climatex and BASF carpet fiber

BUILDINGS LIKE TREES
CITIES LIKE FORESTS
WILLIAM MCDONOUGH: HOUSES LIKE TREES, CITIES LIKE FORESTS

BUILDINGS LIKE TREES

FORD ROUGE CENTER

ADAM JOSEPH SMITH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES OBERLIN, OH

FORD RIVER ROUGE LIVING ROOF DESIGN

XEROFLOR: „RAISED FLORA“

ECO-EFFECTIVE ARCHITECTURE

• More Impact
– More habitat
– More clean water
– More fresh air
– More pleasure
– More beauty
– More biological diversity
– More fun

• Intelligent Workplace
– Responds to outdoor and
indoor conditions
HERMAN MILLER “GREEN HOUSE” FACTORY
ACTIVE HOUSE ARCTITEKTUR
Bionorica: Building like a tree

Building: BIONORICA NEUMARKT

SCHÜCO

KEEPING
MATERIALS
WHILE
SELLING THE
USE OF
SERVICES
 AIR POLLUTANTS CAPTURE VIA CONCRETE: TioChem

Quelle:
Nitrate monoxide from the surrounding air is being transformed into Nitrate (NO3¯) whichHeidelbergCement
is then
being washed down by rain and serves as nutrients to the soil
 Mosses for uptake and conversion of fine particulates

Source: Prof. Frahm – Uni Bonn

OIA INSTITUTO AMBIENTAL LATIN AMERICA

• Soil recovery

• Nutrient recycling

• Energy from Biomass

• Social justice

• Economic profitability

www.oia.org.br/new/
BIOMASS NUTRIENT RECYCLING: SEWAGE TREATMENT
PHOSPHATE RECOVERY
CRADLE TO CRADLE®: DOING THE RIGHT THINGS!

DOING THINGS DOING THE

RIGHT RIGHT THINGS
CRADLE TO CRADLE® DESIGN PARADIGM

• WASTE EQUALS FOOD

(NUTRIENTS ARE NUTRIENTS)

• USE CURRENT SOLAR INCOME

• CELEBRATE DIVERSITY
TRIPLE TOP LINE
Biological Technical
Metabolism Metabolism
Biological
Nutrient
CLIMATEX® LIFECYCLE™ : BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT

FABRIC PRODUCTION FABRIC SALE AND USE DISPOSAL AND TRIMMINGS

MULCH AND COMPOST

RESOURCE GROWTH
KLM - COMPOSTABLE AIRPLANE SEAT PROTOTYPE

Handelsblatt, 16. Juni 2005

 TRIGEMA BIODEGRADABLE T-SHIRT

MANUFACTURE BIODEGRADE

NEW DIMENSIONS OF
QUALITY FOR
APPAREL GOODS
RECOLLECTION COMPOST - User’s Health
- Safe for the
COTTON Environment
ALGAE BIOPOLYMER

BIOPLASTICS

BREAK DOWN

IN SALT WATER
Technical
Nutrient
DESSO: CRADLE TO CRADLE® FLOOR COVER
 Stef Kranendijk, Desso
CEO

CEO of Desso

With Cradle to Cradle, Desso is in it for the long haul. It’s a challenging task which
will involve the creation of entirely new products and technologies.
But it’s a task we’re proud to undertake, for the betterment of our products, our
brand, the people and our planet.
TAKE BACK AND RECYCLING
TAKE BACK AND RECYCLING

Separate the carpet

Into the main components for further use

Material used for cement industry

Secondary fuel
Raw material

Alternative outlets
Yarn for the production of new yarn
Backing material into new backing
TECHNICAL NUTRIENT

32 seconds
RETURNITY: THE FABRIC OF MANY LIVES
TECHNICAL NUTRIENTS - PHILIPS

www.philips.nl
COPPER MATERIAL CYCLES

Exploration

Mining

Concentration

Cu-production

Product
Sorting
manufacturing

Dismantling Use

Collection of
used products
INTELLIGENT MATERIALS POOLING: MATERIAL FLOWS
WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SOLUTIONS?

Producer of Chemicals Recycler „Filler“, Retailer

Quality Community

Producer Logistics Organisations

WINDMILLS ON TRANSMISSION TOWERS
SOLAR PANELS: HARVESTING THE SUN

Silicone Doping

Cadmium telluride

Efficiency up to 40%
EXAMPLE OF A CRADLE TO CRADLE® PLATFORM
BENEFICIAL ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
EPEA INTERNATIONALE
UMWELTFORSCHUNG GMBH
TROSTBRÜCKE 4
D-20457 HAMBURG
GERMANY
T. +49 40 43 13 49 0
F. +49 40 43 13 49 49
www.epea.com

Michael Braungart
braungart@epea.com