
In a resource-constrained world the linear economy of 'take, make
and dispose' is unsustainable. There is a better way: reshaping
businesses so that products are made to be made again in a circular
fashion as seen in nature. Businesses, we believe, need to reshape
their models for the circular economy, where goods and materials
are reused and recycled.
In 2008, inspired by the Cradle to Cradle® concept, the top team
at Desso including the current CEO Alexander Collot d'Escury set
the company on its current course to make all of its products
according to Cradle to Cradle® principles by 2020.
Inspired by nature's continuous cycle, this concept requires
companies to use materials and design products in such a way that
they will be positive to the environment and human health. In broad
terms, this means using positively defined materials1)
so that the goods can be returned and the materials recycled into
new high quality products through two streams: technical or
biological. In the former, the materials are fed back into the
manufacturing process to make new goods; in the latter, they can go
back as a nutrient into the soil.
In both cases, they act in the same way as a natural living system
like the Cherry Tree in using all of the materials for new growth
in an unending cycle.
But this is not easy. There are many complex and rigorous
procedures to adhere to in order to ensure that a product can meet
five criteria, set by the assessors of
Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM programme - and framed by
the co-founders of the concept, Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, a
German chemist and former Greenpeace scientist and William
McDonough, a US architect.
Desso believes that its commitment to the Cradle to Cradle®
philosophy and the transition to the circular economy will enable
it to become more efficient in the use of natural resources,
improve its environmental footprint and develop healthier materials
in its products that benefit people and the planet.
1)Positively defined = all ingredients have been assessed as either Green (optimal) or Yellow (tolerable) according to the Cradle to Cradle® assessment criteria. As described in the Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM program Version 2.1.1, prepared by MBDC September 2008, updated January 2011.