Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.

"Cradle to Cradle" by Braungart and McDonough presents a radical approach to environmentalism, advocating for waste-free, value-creating design.

TypeResource

People & orgsMichael Braungart William McDonough

TopicsClimate Solutions Economics Nonfiction

Year2009

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About Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.

In this visionary book, chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough challenge this status quo and put forward a manifesto for an intriguing and radically different philosophy of environmentalism. "Reduce, reuse, recycle”. This is the standard “cradle to grave” manufacturing model dating back to the Industrial Revolution that we still follow today. In this thought-provoking read, the authors propose that instead of minimising waste, we should be striving to create value. This is the essence of Cradle to Cradle: waste need not to exist at all. By providing a framework of redesign of everything from carpets to corporate campuses, McDonough and Braungart make a revolutionary yet viable case for change and for remaking the way we make things.

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Climate actions

Steps this helps you take.

Buy renewed / refurbished tech
Electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream next to fast fashion. Today there are trustworthy services that buy and refurbish pre-loved electronics and resell them back. This expands the lifespan of the products, gives you a cheaper price while providing the same experience as new devices. You will get a return policy, warranty and fully functional often modern devices.
Choose second-hand fashion
By purchasing second-hand items, you reduce the demand for new products and the energy needed for their production, contributing to lower carbon emissions and resource consumption.
Resell unused items
- Electronics - Appliances - Furniture - Clothes - more
Buy pre-loved furniture & decor
The world has already enough of everything. Especially in big cities second-hand marketplaces or refurbishing services and malls are available. Buying pre-loved (furniture and home decor) saves you money, extends the lifespans of products and keeps it away from landfills. If you need to carry large items, ask your friends to carry it with you in public transport. Don't be afraid to use allot of space or feel guilty about it. it is a structural problem that will get better the more people demand it. You can also rent a car sharing car (or ask a friend to drive). Usually this is still cheaper than buying a new item.
Repair what you can
Repairing items increases their lifespan and ideally saves you money along the way. If you are skilled you can repair items yourself buy buying the right repair kit if you don't already have it, ask someone you know, or have it repaired by a professional. Additionally you can also advocate for better repairability (especially for electronic devices) on a political level. If you cannot repair them or the repair is too expensive, try to resell it to a marketplace or on second-hand shops and buy a new pre-loved item. This way you spend less and keep things in the cycle. Common items you should try to repair electronics, appliances, furniture, clothes and more.