Book review: Cradle to Cradle (McDonough en Braungart)

It is a veritable revolution in the world of books: a book printed on "paper" made of artificial fibres, making it extremely durable and water resistant. It is perfect when you want to read in the bath tub or under the shower. But more importantly: it is a material matching the book's main message. McDonough argues that recycling is actually down-cycling, and makes a case for an entirely new view on "production".

 

The authors believe that the waste remaining after the product has been trashed should be considered as early as the design stage. Products should be designed in such a way that the use of raw materials is kept to a minimum. And, after the product has been discarded, all waste products should be reusable. A fine example of this is a pair of sneakers, which can be disassembled after use. What remains is a pile of components which can be used as raw materials in another production process.

 

Do you think this sounds like something treehugging hippies would rave about? Not quite. McDonough has used this new paradigm when revitalizing an old Ford car factory. This turned one of the most polluted industrial areas of the United States into something new: a cleaner and more modern work environment. This was something General Motors (the company which owns Ford) noticed financially: production costs have dropped significantly. It was an eye-opener!

 

Initially, the book "Cradle to Cradle" was a best-seller among more environmentally aware readers. But it has grown on the general public as well. Today, even in corporate life, it is accepted practice to use concepts from this book in meetings. Ikea, the well-known furniture company, is pervaded with the philosophy of sustainability.  During the entire design process, it takes the teachings of Cradle to Cradle into account. This results in products which have the lowest possible impact on our planet. Meanwhile, the authors fly all over the world to spread the word. There is hope for our planet.