Cradle To Cradle

Cradle To Cradle uncovers the hidden problems with manufacturing, how they affect our planet, and what you can do to help by becoming eco-efficient.

During the Industrial Revolution, everyone wanted to produce things in the most efficient and profitable way possible. Most people believed that nature had a bottomless supply of resources for the taking. So naturally, as large-scale manufacturing exploded, little to no thought went into the environmental consequences.

We may be more aware of our environmental impact today, but it still remains a linear system. Meaning, the things we purchase go from producer to us and to the trash. This way of production is known as the cradle-to-grave model. We get resources to make products, sell these, and they end up in a “grave,” most likely the dump.

Corporations also tend to design things using a one-size-fits-all-approach. An example of this can be found in laundry detergent in the US. Though many places like the Northwest have soft water so they only need small amounts of laundry detergent, soap manufactures make only a strong detergent suitable for people with the hardest water. It might save money, but it’s terrible for the environment.

We see this in many other examples like mining or clearing land for one crop. This way of thinking reflects our deep ideology that the earth just exists for our taking. Sure, we’ve made progress, but the authors argue that we haven’t given the problem the effort it truly needs.

You may have heard the 3 R’s: “reduce, reuse, and recycle.” It seems like a simple solution, right? Not exactly. The problem with reduction is that it doesn’t halt damage to the environment, it just slows it down. Reusing isn’t ideal either because it involves simply transferring a problem from one place to another.

Finally, the problem with recycling is that we lose the quality of the material over time, so it’s really like downcycling. This is because we’re not able to separate what we mixed in making the first product. Hence, the materials in products can’t be brought back to what they first were.

Most of our eco-efficient ways are only fixing problems temporarily. Though energy-efficient buildings have helped reduce the need for oil for heating and cooling by better insulation, poorly designed building materials actually add to indoor air pollution. This means a need for more fresh air in buildings than before.

Surely the regulations that our government puts in place make sure corporations are doing their part, right? Unfortunately, the way they regulate isn’t very helpful. Instead of encouraging businesses to try to create problem-solving, they resort to punishment if necessary, essentially making environmental protection just another hassle.