The main premise I derived from Cradle to Cradle is the notion captured within the book’s title. That is, the idea that consumption in America is highly viewed as a “cradle-to-grave” process, where we regard objects as having a linear lifetime and falsely perceive these objects as simply “going away” after we throw them in the trash. The authors suggest that this notion is highly flawed and does little to nourish the Earth. Instead, they suggest promoting a societal view of consumption that is based on a “cradle-to-cradle” system of values. Items would not be perceived as having a linear life span, and items would not be thrown away. These items would not even be recycled, or “down-cycled” as the authors suggest is the case. Instead, items would give birth to new items and would be a means of providing beneficial substances to the planet’s natural systems.
For example, the authors propose packaging that, as opposed to be thrown away or “down-cycled,” is simply thrown on the ground. It would be made of a biodegradable material that is not only safe for the soil, but provides for it. They suggest similar innovations in terms of the soles of shoes, carpeting, and the material of which furniture is made.
I do agree with the authors. I feel our society needs to seriously reconsider not only how it produces and consumes, but also how it looks at production and consumption. In order to help heal the damage we have already caused and to prevent further damage, American society needs to not only become “less bad” but to also revolutionize the entire system of production and consumption, so that linear production in which plastics, harmful toxins, and unnecessary packaging are not norms, but are instead entirely absurd.
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