Cradle to Cradle

I think there are some fantastic ideas in the book.  I love the idea that we can design products and societies built on the idea of zero waste so that we don't add to landfills and the materials get recycled through many products. I think their vision may be optimistic at the moment, but more and more companies are getting on board, and as energy cost get higher and raw materials get scarcer there will be more emphasis on reusing the materials, as well as making them more durable since they will not be as cheap, as higher transportation costs and production costs must be absorbed into the price. This is also encouraging smart design that reduces waste from the production cycle onward. Shaw Carpets, which is an example of their work, shows how smart design can reduce waste, by using carpet tiles and a underlay so that when a stain occurs they can just take one tile and replace it, whereas before they would have had to rip out the whole carpet. They can then recycle the fibers from that carpet, to make new carpet, reducing costs by reducing waste. This would require a change in thought in both consumers and producers, which is already occurring in select markets. If we can get rid of composite materials and take out the unhealthy chemicals used in current production processes by formaldehyde and PCBs just to name a few most of which have never been tested for their effects on human health. This change would make us healthier and the Earth healthier, especially if it is combined with reduced consumption and more socially conscious ways of obtaining the raw materials.