Cradle to Cradle Draws Worldwide Attention

Green Product Initative Is A Human, Environmental Health Imperative
By: Lydia Wood - Thursday, July 1, 2010
Source: iGreenBuild.com

June 30,2010- Oakland, CA- In recent years, elements in everyday objects such as BPA in plastic and lead in children’s toys have caught a good deal of media attention due to their negative impacts on human and environmental health. In reaction to the widespread ignorance about harmful ingredients in commonplace objects a company with aims of combating the misinforming of consumers was born. Cradle to Cradle Design (C2C) went live this week with the launch of its Green Products Innovation Institute (GPII), a not for profit initiative that will establish health standards for products. The intention of GPII is to streamline and accelerate the transition to safer materials and further California’s Green Chemistry Initiative.

Rest of content hereFounders William McDonough and Michael Braungart, who co- own McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry firm anticipate that GPII will be: “An innovation engine for companies”. GPII hopes to encourage manufacturing companies to create products that are made with safe ingredients.

Standards for products are based on the five principles of C2C design: safe materials; materials that can be reused (recycled, composted, etc.); use of renewable energy; efficient water use, coupled with production of safe water ("We want water coming out of factories that is safe to drink," McDonough said); and social fairness.

The duo’s shared firm handles all certification for Cradle to Cradle products, which number in the hundreds and include everything from personal care and packaging products to office furniture and building materials. Information about how to achieve C2C certification, along with lists of safer, positive chemical choices, are available at http://gpinnovation.org/downloads/gpii_c2c_protocol_2.1.1.pdf.

Public availability of information resonates with the founders’ conviction that the dealings of C2C are “A discovery and not an invention, and [C2C] really belongs in the public domain.” Co-founder McDonough claims that, “[C2C] will become an open system that is subject to public discussion and improvement.”

First, however, C2C must be tested and improved in a way so that it could be understood by the public. Thus, public discussion will become more pronounced and encouraged over time. In regards to the slow public uptake, McDonough said, “It’s been a very steady growth with really serious clients that take time to do things right. We finally got to the point that our enterprise is vigorous and experienced enough that it is worth releasing. C2C is a teenager now. It can go out in the world and carry its own weight.”

Green Products Innovation Institute’s initiative is an ambitious one, with aspirations to have a global reach. To be fair, the projects has found major supporters, such as California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California’s Environmental Protection Agency, which has made a policy recommendation to move toward a “Cradle to Cradle economy”.

The Dutch town, Venlo, in the province of Limburg practices exclusively Cradle to Cradle techniques in product manufacturing and utilization. Venlonians say that it’s a great tool for innovation and it also makes sense economically, while protecting the environment. The town prides itself on “rethinking the way we make things”, according to the enthusiastic Director of the Chamber of Commerce.

The project caught on in Venlo in 2006, after a TV channel broadcasted a segment about Cradle to Cradle. Entrepreneurs, along with McDonough and Braungart convinced industries and policy makers to adopt the concept. The switch for local industries is a bigger challenge than first anticipated, “we straight away ran into difficulties” said Joost Backus, a creative industry promoter. It is not a practical solution yet, but Venlonians are determined to persist in their endeavor.

Rest of content hereThe final results of Venlo’s attempt at living Cradle to Cradle will have ramifications for the entire movement, in assessing applicability, timeliness, and convenience. But, if the 90,000 inhabitants of Venlo and its industries can live harmoniously in a Cradle to Cradle “melting pot of sustainability”, then other populaces can make it work, too.

To see the original articles about Cradle to Cradle’s new initiative and Venlo, follow these links:

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/05/20/cradle-cradle-enters-public-domain-hope-accelerate-safer-products

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/venlo-cradle-to-cradle.php

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