Cradle to Cradle Material Flows The Power of Design 


IN ADDITION TO THE FLOW OF MATERIALS IN CRADLE-TO-CRADLE LIFE CYCLES, HEALTHY BIOLOGICAL AND TECHNICAL METABOLISMS REQUIRE THE USE OF HEALTHY CHEMICAL AND MATERIAL INPUTS. CRADLE TO CRADLE DESIGN INCLUDES THE EVALUATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF ALL CHEMICAL AND MATERIAL INPUTS THROUGHOUT PRODUCT LIFE CYCLES. EVALUATION AND OPTIMIZATION ENSURES MAXIMUM MATERIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY TO HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS MAXIMUM MATERIAL QUALITY OVER MANY LIFE CYCLES, AND EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY INPUTS.
Human and Ecological Health Assessment
Materials' human and ecological health are characterized according to the following criteria:

    Priority Human Health Criteria (known or suspected):
    • carcinogenicity
    • endocrine disruption
    • mutagenicity (accidental and/or engineered)
    • reproductive and developmental toxicity (teratogenicity).

    Additional Human Health Criteria:
    • acute toxicity
    • chronic toxicity
    • irritation of skin/mucous membranes
    • sensitization
    • other (e.g., skin penetration potential, flammability, etc.).

    Ecological Health Criteria:
    • bioaccumulation
    • climatic relevance
    • content of halogenated organic compounds
    • fish toxicity
    • algae toxicity
    • daphnia toxicity
    • heavy metal content
    • persistence/biodegradation
    • other (e.g., water danger list, toxicity to soil organisms, etc.)

    Natural Systems Equilibrium Criteria:
    • global warming potential
    • ozone depletion potential
Value Recovery Potential
To recover value and maintain materials in closed loops, materials either return safely to soil or are recyclable as a technical nutrient. Evaluation of the value recovery potential of a material is based on the following considerations:

    • Is it technically feasible to compost or recycle the material?
    • Does a recycling or composting infrastructure exist for the material?
    • What is the resulting quality of the recycled material or compost?
    • Have the materials and products been designed to facilitate post-use value recovery?
Energy Profile
As industry moves toward renewable energy sources based on current solar income, materials and products can be evaluated for their effective use of energy. This process includes the following considerations:

    • What is the energy intensity of a material's or product's creation?
    • What is the quality of energy (exergy) required for its creation?
    • What energy sources are used in its creation, distribution, use, and value recovery processes? (Renewables vs. non-renewables.)
 Cradle to Cradle Material Flows The Power of Design