Only a few names come to mind when considering the pioneers of sustainability and German chemist Michael Braungart is a notable example. Twenty-one years after the relase of his book ‘Cradle-to-Cradle’, Recycling International catches up with the author who believes the younger generation is increasingly taking the circular economy to heart.
‘The world has welcomed the circular economy with open arms. It’s amazing to see and, to be honest, I didn’t quite expect positive change to take such a big leap in such a relatively short time.’ Despite the upbeat assertion, Braungart starts the conversation by acknowledging innovation doesn’t happen overnight, not even the internet.
‘And it took about 500 years for mankind to understand that the earth is not flat,’ he adds with a laugh. ‘People can be really stubborn.’
Tidal wave of effort
‘I’m both humbled and proud at the rate of our success. There are some 200 companies officially listed by our Cradle-to-Cradle Centre representing almost 16 000 certified products. Many new frontrunners are filing patents for innovative products every year.’
Yet Braungart insists: ‘Please don’t think it was all my doing. I have a great team, including my business partner William McDonough. And let’s not forget the hard work Ellen McArthur has done with her foundation – it has helped inspire people around the world.’
Braungart recalls how McArthur raised funds and used her popularity as a prominent sportswoman to promote his ideology. ‘I would say about 80% of circular economy legislation is based on her passion and public appeal.’
He goes on to state: ‘Youngsters writing to me seem to care a lot more about their reputation and taking responsibility than money, especially when compared to their parents and grandparents. They see the bigger picture and want to be proud of what they’re doing. This is one of the main ingredients for leaders in a circular economy.’
‘Perfectly wrong‘
The cornerstone of cradle-to-cradle thinking is in celebrating the value of nutrients, as Braungart calls them. ‘We don’t have to get rid of waste. It’s part of the circle of life and there will always be waste. Just make sure it serves a purpose in a way that makes sense.’ The approach is suggested in his book’s subtitle: ‘Remaking the way we make things’.
‘My biggest enemies are people running sustainability departments,’ he laughs. ‘These managers want to build a fleet of electric company cars, install insect hotels in the employees’ rest area, reduce the number of plastic bottles used or to boost the company recycling rate by another 5%. They don’t want to fundamentally change things. They just want to boost the numbers,’ Braungart argues.
‘They don’t realise this leaves intact the status quo. They’re optimising the wrong things by making them perfectly wrong.’ He shakes his head. ‘They’re missing the actual point and we have to stop lying to ourselves. Sustainability could be the true growth engine of the future.’
Braungart points out that the copper mining and production industry generates more waste in Europe than its entire recycling industry. ‘This is a common problem for a lot of materials. But what do we do? We ban plastic bags and straws. It’s like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. It’s almost funny.’
He says the focus on ‘small victories’, highlighted in the media, shows that some ceos don’t get it. ‘Cradle-to-cradle is about celebrating our creativity, curiosity, know-how etc, not about reducing our footprint. Entrepreneurs should be seizing opportunities, investing in R&D, in new technology, in new talent – not saying sorry.’
Read the full interview in our next issue >>
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