By Brendon Rowen, C2C Design
In this article we hand over the keyboard to our good friends at Cradle to Cradle Marketplace who have become a vital partner in our quest to embed cradle to cradle principles in our work as designers. Brendon Rowen shares his thoughts with us about how to make the circular economy work.
A simple concept
Explaining the circular economy has often been difficult for me, as I am a simple man with complex ideas and these 2 states of being often battle for position in my consciousness. I want my world to be simple, yet it seems the execution of this simplicity is, complex.
So how do we resolve this, both within ourselves & in the world as a whole!? The answer is the Circular Economy & Cradle to Cradle® thinking.
Nature's influence
- seed falls down from a dying tree
- seeds germinates
- tree grows
- tree sequesters carbon
- tree provides food/nourishment
- tree disperses hundreds of seeds
- tree dies
- seeds perpetuate and grow into more trees
The cycles continue endlessly, in abundant variety and diversity.
A world of abundance
Cradle to Cradle ® and the Circular Economy celebrates and promotes a way of engaging with finance and economy, for a world of abundance and proliferation, NOT a world of lack, less or limitation.
So, we humans make stuff from the resources we have "borrowed" from nature. We make a lot of stuff. We produce food, clothing, homes, furniture, infrastructure and cities. Much is needed for our awe inspiring existence. Much of this stuff is not as good as what we would expect nature to provide us with.
Circularity
In the last 15 years, human beings have upped their engagement in huge leaps and bounds with the abundance of life on planet earth. There's inspiring pioneering work in ALL spheres of circular thinking.
Cradle to Cradle ® Marketplace embodies, promotes & encourages this Circular Economy model. We are committed to making our processes and way of operating as close to circular in nature as possible.
It is sublime & simple:
- manufacturers produce high quality Cradle to Cradle ® Certified goods
- we buy them wholesale and present them for sale on your Cradle to Cradle® Marketplace
- you buy them
- we use up to 50% of the profits to support other manufacturers/businesses to certify their products
- this demand, for C2C products, creates more healthy products in circulation in the world
- more C2C products in circulation elevates accessibility to products
- so the cycle repeats
Buy C2C Certified Products & Drive the Circular Economy
Like many people reading this, I believe we have the ability, awareness and power to evolve from a linear, limited and limiting economy to an economy of abundant resource, ingenuity, innovation & one that celebrates life in ALL ways, for good, forever!
You can buy Cradle to Cradle ® Certified Goods here and drive demand for products in a circular economy.
If you have any questions about C2C not covered on our website or want to speak to me about gaining Cradle to Cradle ® certifcation, you can contact Brendon Rowen here.
Brendon Rowen
If you have any questions about C2C not covered on our website or want to speak to me about gaining Cradle to Cradle ® certification, you can contact Brendon Rowen here.