Cradle to Cradle
This means producing a product in such a way that at the end of their life cycle they can be 100% reused. Therefore, manufacturers should look out for products that would not end up going to the grave and possibly destroying the environment because of their inability to degrade but to be recycled into something new that can serve another purpose. This concept involves no waste at all, fully sustainable, and complete reutilization of components used. The philosophy surrounding this goes through 5 quality classifications. They include material health, material reutilization, water stewardship, social fairness, and renewable energy & carbon management.
Material Health has to do with the quality of the material being used for the production of the products and this matters throughout the life cycle of the products. This is by assessing the implications the materials would have on human health, animals, and the entire ecosystem as a whole.
Material Reutilization is about how the material for production is capable of being used to serve another purpose after its initial one. This helps to eliminate waste and focuses more on the effective use of resources.
Water stewardship deals with managing the use of water to mitigate any risks associated with its usage. This helps in preserving water sustainably.
With social fairness comes taking into consideration the interest of all stakeholders of your manufacturing process as an organization. That is, from employees to the community and the environment at large.
The management of renewable energy to reduce the release and impact of carbon into the ecosphere falls under the last quality category. If carbon is not well managed the whole ecosystem would become unsafe for our dwelling and their quest to produce goods and services would not be fulfilled in the long run.
Without a very well-preserved environment, no production would be successful anyway therefore, organizations should take up this concept.
Sources
External Links
https://magazine.mosa.com/en-gb/the-definition-and-philosophy-of-cradle-to-cradle-design-explained
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-642-28036-8_165
Picture Link
https://unsplash.com/photos/TE_fvX7fhD8
