Cradle to Cradle DesignCradle to Cradle DesignJohn Kania10/14/08CBE 555

IntroductionIntroductionWhy I chose this topic?

◦Importance of thinking outside of the box

◦Many of us are soon going to be professionals

◦ Ideas I had never heard ofDespite popularity of “green” thinking

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What is it?!What is it?!Design concept that models

industrial processes after nature’s processes

Eliminates the concept of waste, where all raw materials, products, and byproducts are seen as either technical or biological nutrients

Nutrients?Nutrients?Biological – decompose in a

natural environment without any harmful side effects

Technical – can be manufactured and re-manufactured over and over without losing any quality or structural integrity.

So this is recycling?So this is recycling?No, most often recycling as we

know it is actually “downcycling” Plastic Bottle —>Fleece Hat —

>Garbage

How good is recycling?◦ Recycling diverted 68 million tons of 229

million tons total municipal solid waste (2001) … ~30%

◦ PET recycling rate 23.5% in 2006

MaterialsMaterialsSelecting better materials to get

the job done◦X-list (i.e. Asbestos, benzene, vinyl chloride,

chromium)

Obviously harmful to human or environmental health

Teratogenic, mutagenic, carcinogenic

◦Gray List (i.e. Cadmium)

Problematic substances, not urgently needed to phase out, or which there is no current viable substitute

◦P-list Actively defined as healthy and safe for use

Example: AntimonyExample: AntimonyAntimony compounds are excellent

polycondensation catalystsSb2O3 used as catalyst in

polymerization of PETMechanism

AnderssonDuh, 2002

Example: Antimony Example: Antimony cont’dcont’dEPA max. allowed content 6 ppbStudy: 9 bottled water companies

◦ Concentrations from 0.095 to 0.521 ppb◦ Rate of release given by power function model

Sb(t) = Sb(0)* tk ; k=8.7x10-6 * T2.55

In 24 hrs would need a T of 87C to reach 6 ppb with Sb(0)=0.521 ppb At 22C would need 1x1042 years…

Australia’s National Pollutant Inventory ◦ Breathing high levels for a long time can irritate eyes and lungs and can

cause heart and lung problems, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers. Ingesting large doses of antimony can cause vomiting.

◦ Symptoms and toxicity ratings similar to Arsenic

◦ Ranked 84/400 harmful substances

IndustryIndustryWho is currently practicing C2C?

◦Carpets (Shaw)◦Clothes (Patagonia)◦Shoes (Nike)◦German Auto Industry◦Buildings (River Rouge, Ford )

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What is the benefit?What is the benefit?Economical

◦Reduction of cost of raw materials waste and recycling costs

◦Good public image, good for marketing

◦Safer materials reduction in expensive safety equipment improved working conditions could lead

to happier more productive employees

Case: Shaw Contact GroupCase: Shaw Contact GroupIn 1999 produced the first fully recyclable

PVC-free carpet tiles, with a new backing material EcoWorx®. ◦ Maintains virgin quality thoughout recycling process◦ 40% reduction in weight of end product◦ Awarded a Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in

2003

Background◦ Carpets traditionally non-recyclable man made

fibers, so 95% carpets end up in landfills◦ In 2002, carpet contributed 4.2 billion pounds

of waste in US (~1% total municipal solid waste)

Case: Ford Rouge CenterCase: Ford Rouge Center Ford Motor Company factory built in the 1920’s on the

Rouge River near Detroit Production site became an old and large source of

pollution Ford had choice of abandoning, demolishing, or renovating

The Rouge – C2C The Rouge – C2C HighlightsHighlights$2 Billion project with 20 year timeline10.4 Acre Living Roof

◦ Natural storm water management◦ Regulates temperature of building◦ No UV degradation as in traditional

roofs

Huge skylights (10x 3000 ft2)◦ On sunny days only half of the lights need to be on◦ $50,000 savings

Use of Plants to restore healthy soils◦ More environmentally beneficial than digging and

dumping soil

ConclusionsConclusionsPhilosophy could affect variety of

industries

How fast will competing companies respond?

Will this be globally regulated?

ReferencesReferences Andersson, “Shapes, forces and lone pair compounds”

Australian Government Department of Environment, http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance-info/profiles/10.html, 2006

Duh, Ben, “Effect of Antimony catalyst on solid-state polycondensation of poly(ethyleneterephthalate), Polymer, 2002

http://www.american.edu/TED/germauto.htm

http://www.hfmgv.org/rouge/index.aspx

Investor Environmental Health Network, http://www.iehn.org/publications.case.shaw.php, 2008

Liroff, “Protecting Public Health, Increasing Profits And Promoting Innovation By Benchmarking Corporate Governance of Chemicals in Products”, World Wildlife Fund, January 2005

McDonough & Braungart, “Cradle to Cradle”, North Point Press, 2002

National Association for PET Container Resources, http://www.napcor.com/plastic/bottles/press07rr.html, 2008

Nike, “Considered Design & the Environment”, 2006

Schiers, “Modern Polyesters: Chemistry and Technology of Polyesters and Copolyesters”, John Wiley and Sons, 2002

The Environment; Ford Gives River Rouge a Green Coat, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A00E5DC133AF930A15753C1A9649C8B63, 2002

Westerhoff, “Antimony leaching from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic used for bottled drinking water”, Water Research, February 2008

Whitten, “Charge density analysis of two polymorphs of antimony (III) oxide”, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2003