Gus Woltmann » Cradle to Cradle

Major Implementations

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:16:59 +0000

*The Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies incorporates cradle to cradle systems throughout the center. The use of the term C2C is replaced with Regenerative.
*The Chinese Government is constructing many cities like Huangbaiyu based on C2C principles, utilising the rooftops for agriculture.
*The Ford River Rouge Complex redevelopment. Cleaning 20 billion gallons (76,000,000 m³) of rainwater annually.
*The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) will make its laboratory and office complex completely cradle to cradle compliant
*Several private houses and communal buildings in the Netherlands

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Existing Synthetic Materials

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:07:50 +0000

The question of how to deal with the countless existing technical nutrients (synthetic materials) that cannot be recycled or reintroduced to the natural environment is dealt with in C2C design. The materials that can be reused and retain their quality can be used within the technical nutrient cycles while other materials are far more difficult to deal with, such as plastics in the Pacific Ocean.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Definitions

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:06:07 +0000

* Cradle to Cradle phrase; essentially a play on the “Cradle to Grave” phrase, implying that the C2C model is sustainable and considerate of life in general.
* Technical nutrients are basically inorganic or synthetic materials manufactured by humans–such as plastics and metals–that can be used many times over without any loss in quality, staying in a continuous cycle.
* Biological nutrients and materials are organic materials that can decompose into the natural environment, soil, water, etc. without affecting it in a negative way, providing food for bacteria and microbiological life.
* Materials are usually referred to as the building blocks of other materials, such as the dyes used in colouring fibers or rubbers used in the sole of a shoe.
* Downcycling is a term used to describe what is conventionally known as recycling, which is seen as “downcycling” materials into lesser products, a plastic computer housing becomes a plastic cup, which then becomes a park bench, eventually becoming waste.
* Waste = Food is a basic concept of organic waste materials becoming food for bugs, insects and other small forms of life who can feed on it, decompose it and return it to the natural environment which we then indirectly use for food ourselves.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Economics

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:05:20 +0000

The use of a C2C model often lowers the financial cost of systems. For example, in the redesign of the Ford River Rouge Complex, the planting of native grasses on assembly plant roofs retains and cleanses rain water. It also moderates the internal temperature of the building in order to save energy. The roof is part of an $18 million rainwater treatment system designed to clean 20 billion gallons (76,000,000 m³) of rainwater annually. This saved Ford $50 million that would otherwise have been spent on mechanical treatment facilities. If products are designed according to C2C design principles, they can be manufactured and sold for less than alternative designs. They eliminate the need for waste disposal such as landfills.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Health

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:02:19 +0000

Currently, many human beings come into contact or consume, directly or indirectly, many harmful materials and chemicals on a daily basis. In addition, countless other forms of plant and animal life are also exposed. C2C seeks to remove dangerous technical nutrients (synthetic materials such as mutagenic materials, heavy metals and other dangerous chemicals) from current life cycles. If the materials we come into contact with and are exposed to on a daily basis are not toxic and do not have long term health effects, then the health of the overall system can be better maintained. For example, a fabric factory can eliminate all harmful technical nutrients by carefully reconsidering what chemicals they use in their dyes to achieve the colours they need and attempt to do so with fewer base chemicals.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Structure

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:58:54 +0000

The certification criteria in MBDC’s C2C certification process are: • ‘Material Health’, which involves identifying the chemical composition of the materials that make up the product. Particularly hazardous materials (e.g. heavy metals, pigments, halogen compounds etc.) have to be reported whatever the concentration, and other materials reported where they exceed 100 ppm. For wood, the forest source is required. The risk for each material is assessed against criteria and eventually ranked on a scale with green being materials of low risk, yellow being those with moderate risk but are acceptable to continue to use, and red for materials that have high risk and need to be phased out. Grey for materials with incomplete data. The method uses the term risk’ in the sense of hazard (as opposed to consequence and likelihood). • The next assessment is of ‘Material Reutilization’ which is about recovery and recycling at the end of product life. • The third assessment is of energy required for production, which for the highest level of certification needs to be based at least 50% on solar for all parts and subassemblies. • Fourth is water, particularly usage and discharge quality. • The fifth area is ’social responsibility’ which refers to fair labour practices. The certification is available at several levels: basic, silver, gold, platinum, with more stringent requirements at each.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Possible income loss and social costs

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:11:39 +0000

In some prosperous and many less prosperous countries in the world, the traditional job of recycling is performed by the entrepreneurial poor such as the karung guni, the rag and bone man, waste picker, and junk man. With the creation of large recycling organizations that may be profitable, either by law or economies of scale, the poor are more likely to be driven out of the recycling and the remanufacturing market. To compensate for this loss of income to the poor, a society may need to create additional forms of societal programs to help support the poor. Like the parable of the broken window, there is a net loss to the poor and possibly the whole of a society to make recycling artificially profitable through law.

Because the social support of a country is likely less than the loss of income to the poor doing recycling, there is a greater chance that the poor will come in conflict with the large recycling organizations. This means fewer people can decide if certain waste is more economically reusable in its current form rather than being reprocessed. Contrasted to the recycling poor, the efficiency of their recycling may actually be higher for some materials because individuals have greater control over what is considered “waste.”

One labor-intensive underused waste is electronic and computer waste. Because this waste may still be functional and wanted mostly by the poor, the poor may sell or use it at a greater efficiency than large recyclers.

Many recycling advocates believe that this laissez-faire individual-based recycling does not cover all of society’s recycling needs. Thus, it does not negate the need for an organized recycling program. Local government often consider the activities of the recycling poor as contributing to property blight.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Cradle to Cradle

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:18:34 +0000

Criticism

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:17:09 +0000

Co-ordination with other models

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:16:35 +0000

Implementation

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:16:02 +0000

Finished products

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:15:33 +0000

Hypothetical Examples

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:15:06 +0000

Introduction

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:14:33 +0000