What is Cradle to Cradle in construction? It is more than recycling

Building today and sometime in the future simply demolishing and discarding the remnants is out of date. Recycling or rather upcycling as many materials as possible is perfectly possible nowadays. When building according to the Cradle to Cradle principle you go a big step further. What does Cradle to Cradle mean and how does it differ from other forms of sustainable reuse?

Cradle to Cradle is a design philosophy based on the premise that all materials used during production and construction can be reused again and again in the future. Without creating (residual) waste. Thus, the reuse must be one hundred percent. In addition, there must be no loss of quality, so you get at least an equivalent product or material in return.

In this respect, you can see Cradle to Cradle as a stricter or improved version of upcycling, where a product or material is also given a second life or a new function. Although with upcycling this process is not always endlessly repeatable and residual waste is often created.

Cradle to cradle means oneinidg reuse

Cradle to Cradle is something completely different from recycling anyway. Because with reclycling you are dealing with residual waste (harmful or otherwise), so a product or material is usually not reused one hundred percent. In addition, you can often only recycle materials a limited number of times, as the quality deteriorates until it is eventually no longer usable. Also, recycling usually involves a lower-quality second or third life. For example, concrete is pulverized and then used as road fill material, quality paper ends up as toilet paper, or plastic casings are ground up and made into something like a nice bench seat.

Because of its limited lifespan, recycling is also known as Cradle to Grave. Cradle to Cradle aims to design, produce and use products and materials in such a way that they can be reused almost indefinitely, without the need for new raw materials in the future. The underlying idea is that our earth's resources will eventually run out.

No loss of quality

Because of its value retention, Cradle to Cradle (C2C) seems to be the ultimate form of sustainability and circular building. It may sound woolly, but waste is seen as a nutrient. There is always a cycle in C2C, just as there is in nature. Plants die and serve as nutrients for other plants, nothing goes to waste.

Cradle to Cradle therefore distinguishes two different cycles. A biological cycle with biological and therefore organic materials (such as wood) that are fully degradable in nature, and a technical cycle of materials (such as glass and aluminum) that can be reused endlessly without loss of quality. Thus, after use, something must either be given a new equivalent function or be given a nourishing function according to the principle "waste is food.

Certifying for Cradle to Cradle

A material, product or entire building cannot simply be advertised as Cradle to Cradle; a stringent certification program must precede it, in which a product or material is assessed on several aspects. For example, materials may not contain toxic substances, the possibilities for reuse are examined, only renewable energy sources may be used and everything must be done in a socially responsible way. Because there are four certification levels (bronze, silver, gold and platinum), you don't have to master everything to perfection right away and there is plenty of room to grow step by step until eventually the highest level of Cradle to Cradle is reached.