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On this episode…
As local weather change turns into extra apparent, sources and power are dearer, and customers demand extra sustainable merchandise, many producers wish to discover a strategy to design extra environmentally-friendly merchandise. With this in thoughts, Renaud and Adrian talk about Cradle To Cradle design and manufacturing. As a substitute of changing into waste, C2C merchandise are designed to be reused as supplies for brand new merchandise or harmlessly biodegrade. Producers are additionally inspired to scale back their environmental impacts by conserving water, power, decreasing air pollution, and extra.
Even taking steps in the direction of Cradle to Cradle will cut back your environmental impression and make you a greener producer which is healthier for the planet and enterprise in lots of circumstances!
Earlier than we discover C2C, although, China & Hong Kong are affected by a number of Covid outbreaks, so we begin by checking in on how this might be affecting your provide chains and what the scenario is like on the bottom right here proper now…
Simply hit the play button to start out listening..!
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🎧 What’s The ’Cradle To Cradle’ Product Design Idea? 🎧
Present Sections
00:00 – Greetings & introduction to the subject.
01:47 – The Covid scenario in China and Hong kong.
There are quite a few outbreaks round China in vital cities. The authorities are doing focused lockdowns of sure areas and mass testing to deliver them underneath management. But when an space the place your provider is predicated is locked down, it might disrupt your merchandise’ provide.
Hong Kong is affected by a really severe outbreak proper now that they’re struggling to get underneath management. It goes with out saying that suppliers in Hong Kong might be disrupted as many individuals are informed to do business from home.
07:45 – How we obtained from unsustainable (take/make/waste) to extra sustainable (cradle to grave) manufacturing.
From the 1800s as much as across the Seventies manufacturing labored on a ‘take-make-waste’ precept the place sustainability wasn’t a key focus. After that, consultants and scientists began to warn that lack of sources, local weather change, air pollution, overpopulation, and environmental harm have been beginning to take impact.
This led to right this moment’s dominant considering the place producers focus extra on decreasing waste, designing merchandise to make use of fewer supplies (particularly dangerous or unsustainable like palm oil, lithium, and so forth), and manufacturing extra effectively in an effort to cut back merchandise’ impression on the setting. General, the main focus is on doing ‘much less unhealthy,’ however it solely delays the consumption of finite supplies, air pollution, and so forth, as a result of waste remains to be created. Lifecycle assessments (LCA) are sometimes completed now to calculate a product’s impression from its creation by to the purpose that it turns into waste and is disposed of and make efforts to scale back it the place potential – that is also referred to as a ‘Cradle to Grave’ evaluation. Nevertheless, discount of impression is nice (much less unhealthy), it’s nonetheless unsustainable.
15:08 – The transfer to completely sustainable (cradle to cradle) manufacturing as a result of failure of recycling to be sustainable.
Product designers are on the forefront of the transfer to sustainable merchandise and two industrial designers (McDonnough and Braungart) developed a design and manufacturing methodology often known as ‘Cradle to Cradle,’ the place merchandise produce no waste on the finish of their lifetimes as they’re designed for his or her lifetimes to by no means truly finish. Both they are going to be absolutely reused as materials for brand new merchandise, or, no less than, harmlessly biodegrade within the setting.
Recycling is well-liked now, however it’s nonetheless actually C2G in lots of circumstances when utilizing recycled supplies in merchandise or designing them to be recycled as soon as their lifetime is over. Recycling will not be as inexperienced as one thinks. Usually extra sources are used to recycle supplies than creating virgin supplies, to not point out dangerous components and so forth used to make recycled supplies carry out acceptably. That is at odds with C2C which advocates for no waste, no dangerous supplies and chemical substances used, and no destructive impression on the setting and well being.
Loads of recycling is definitely downcycling anyway, the place the supplies can’t be remade into one thing pretty much as good, however are used to make an inferior product as their efficiency or properties degrade throughout the recycling course of. Clothes created from recycled bottles requires quite a lot of components which can be unhealthy, automotive tires might be floor and made into flooring tiles…both method, these finally change into waste as they will not be recycled/downcycled.
20:22 – C2C’s predominant options.
The important thing thought with Cradle to Cradle design and manufacturing is to be a part of the round economic system. Merchandise don’t go to landfills, and supplies don’t have to be endlessly obtained from the planet. Current merchandise are reused as a substitute. Unharmful supplies must also be chosen. Power utilized in manufacturing needs to be renewable. Individuals working for the enterprise needs to be handled legally and humanely, too. C2C is a perfect, possibly not instantly achievable for a lot of firms, however steps in the direction of it would assist the setting.
25:18 – How a lot can producers do to extend their use of renewable power?
Apart from the facility grid which might not be renewable power, producers can cut back power use, enhance insulation, set up photo voltaic panels on their roofs, and so forth. Lowering, reusing, and recycling is an effective begin right here and may result in price financial savings for producers, too.
27:20 – Cradle to Cradle certification.
C2C is one among many eco certifications and is a typical for certifying merchandise based mostly on the Cradle to Cradle guide. Merchandise are assessed on 5 factors:
- Materials well being
- Materials reutilization
- Renewable power & carbon administration
- Water stewardship
- Social equity
Their scores are offered by an impartial auditor and the product can be graded from bronze to platinum degree relying on how near being completely sustainable it’s. Bronze can be nearer to C2G, the place you’re taking steps to scale back the destructive impacts or merchandise, however there nonetheless could also be waste and different negatives at this level.
As with different certifications, you might be anticipated to repeatedly make progress and get nearer to C2C’s beliefs as time passes. Additionally, auditors will scrutinize your whole provide chain and assess materials producers, sub-suppliers, and so forth, as you progress additional up by the C2C grades, making it stricter and tougher to acquire larger grades akin to gold or platinum.
33:54 – Cradle to Cradle product examples.
C2C merchandise available on the market embrace sneakers that may be 100% reused to create extra sneakers with out further supplies, to cleansing merchandise with no destructive environmental impacts, to workplace furnishings designed to make use of recycled and recyclable supplies solely, there are many good examples on the market.
36:55 – What do product designers want to bear in mind when designing a C2C product?
Industrial designers centered on Cradle To Cradle design and manufacturing nonetheless must concentrate on aesthetics, performance, security, and compliance, as regular. Nevertheless, if circularity and sustainability are key, customers will usually forgive much less significance being given to elements like aesthetics ( instance is the Toyota Prius which isn’t a really enticing automotive). Sturdiness and reliability might also be much less essential if the product could be very simple to reuse as manufacturing supplies. Meeting and disassembly might be extra essential with recycling or reusing in thoughts, whereas it didn’t matter a lot for merchandise destined for landfills. Materials alternative is essential, as non-harmful and even recycled supplies can be most well-liked, in addition to deciding on biodegradable or compostable supplies within the occasion that merchandise are disposed of.
41:15 – Advantages of C2C.
- Merchandise have a decrease environmental impression or are even negligible with completely C2C merchandise.
- Prices might be saved – decreasing power and useful resource use can cut back firms’ prices, however implementing processes the place present merchandise are reused to fabricate extra of the identical might be less expensive than shopping for in virgin supplies, too, in some circumstances.
- You’re in a position to declare that you’ve got a inexperienced product and you’ve got the certification to show it – this might achieve you enterprise from customers (usually extra prosperous) who’re taken with shopping for much less dangerous merchandise.
- Your organization’s picture is improved accordingly, too, compared to much less inexperienced opponents.
- Holding a C2C certification can facilitate elevating cash from buyers who will consider the environmental impression of firms of their portfolios.
- C2C is much less doubtless for use as greenwashing as it’s independently audited and is much less open to abuse than ‘honor-based’ certifications.
44:55 – Drawbacks of C2C.
- Product design is harder and can take longer to get to the market, requiring extra effort and, essentially, being a riskier challenge.
- Acquiring the upper degree C2C certifications might be tough for SMEs. The barrier for entry is excessive and requires a excessive funding in money and time. Specialist consultants could possibly assist information you to place methods and processes in place to acquire it, however there’s nonetheless a price.
49:16 – How Sofeast will help your companies change into extra sustainable.
This will depend on in case you are taken with genuinely decreasing a product’s environmental impression or are simply taken with greenwashing.
We will facilitate prospects to essentially cut back their environmental impacts by:
- Attempting to supply producers who’re nearer to your market
- Switching to greener packaging
- Choosing suppliers with much less dangerous supplies, akin to TPU as a substitute of PVC
- Consulting about enhancing power effectivity within the manufacturing facility
- Offering industrial design help to design merchandise with higher sturdiness and reliability leading to much less waste
53:22 – Wrapping up.
Associated content material…
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