Cradle to Cradle made industrial ecology and the circular economy a lot more mainstream than they had previously been. They’re both still niche notions, but without Cradle to Cradle they’d be a lot more obscure. And if you’re interested in sustainability, the book (or at a minimum this summary!) is required reading.
“Love me some sun,” says Philip Warburg. Well, not exactly—the longtime environmental lawyer and former president of New England’s half-century old Conservation Law Foundation titles his new book Harness the Sun: America’s Quest for a Solar-Powered Future (Beacon Press, September 2015). But like the expression, the book’s import carries the most … [continued]
Recycling was a big topic at Sustainable Brands this year. More specifically, how brands are making money out of trash. A perfect storm of forces has coalesced to make recycled plastics more viable than they used to be, and sometimes more viable than virgin plastics. A persistently weak economy, a generation growing up with terror of environmental collapse, and the passion to do their best to prevent that, and “waste” becoming more plentiful than crude oil. William McDonough’s pioneering work in Cradle to Cradle is finally heading into the mainstream.
Waste haulers and power utilities are among those that see “green” in converting waste-to-energy. The growing presence of large, established companies in the waste-to-energy and recycling market spaces also spells opportunity for aspiring businesses all along the industry value chain.
