Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart

We often talk about "consumers". However, in the long run, very little is actually consumed. Most good we buy are used for a little bit and then disposed of in landfills. Attempts to improve this often look at the "cradle to grave" lifespan of goods, but many of these just delay the inevitable. Much recycle is "downcycling" to lower quality goods that are then landfilled. Critical components are often not extractable and thus are lost in the recycling. There are also many dangerous chemicals that are part of the process. Environmentally friendly options often have negative parts. The recycled paper may contain harmful components from the previous life and be hard to read. Items may also include components from other countries that are not subject to similar environmental standards.

This book advocates for an alternative to "reduce, reuse, recycle". Even if we reduce our footprint, we still have a significant negative footprint that will add up over time. Instead, we should look for ways where what we have can make an improvement. An example would be a plant where the manufacturing process makes the outflowing water better than what came in - all while carrying out its purpose. Rather than trying to be less bad, we can be "more good". Truly sustainable processes would lead to continual improvements. Rather than reduce the human footprint, we should work to make it positive. This is a different, albeit much harder approach.