---
title: Sustainable Concrete Building - Cradle-to-Cradle
description: Cradle-to-Cradle design is a concept that is continue to grow in popularity throughout the world, using products that do good for the environment.
---

[Blogging about global concrete industry ](https://info.kryton.com/blog)

# [Sustainable Concrete Building - Cradle-to-Cradle](https://info.kryton.com/blog/2014/10/sustainable-concrete-building-cradle-cradle)

 Written by [Jason Bryant](https://info.kryton.com/blog/author/jason-bryant) | Oct 10, 2014 3:32:44 PM

<https://static.hsstatic.net/BlogImporterAssetsUI/ex/missing-image.png> Green roof at Mountain Equipment Coop, Toronto, Canada.

Cradle-to-Cradle design is an approach to design of products and systems, modeling human industry on nature’s processes viewing materials as nutrients circulating in healthy, safe metabolisms. Its contrast is cradle-to-grave, referring to a company taking responsibility for the disposal of goods it has produced, but not necessarily putting product constituent components back into service.

Cradle-to-Cradle is a phrase invented by Walter R. Stahel in the 1970s and popularized by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in a 2002 book, [Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.](http://www.mcdonough.com/speaking-writing/cradle-to-cradle/)

Basically, the method of Cradle-to-Cradle is used to minimize environmental impact of products by employing sustainable production, operation and disposal practices, aiming to incorporate social sustainability in to product development (sharing commonalities from the[ Triple Bottom Line](https://www.kryton.com/2014/09/triple-bottom-line/)).

<https://static.hsstatic.net/BlogImporterAssetsUI/ex/missing-image.png> Vancouver Convention Centre Green Roof.

In society today, we always hear that companies are aiming to minimize harmful effects on the planet and so on. Cradle-to-Cradle philosophy throws the ‘minimize harmful effects’ notion out and instead reframes it into design that is a beneficial, regenerative force. In essence, it shifts thought from being ‘less bad’ to being ‘more good’ – from minimizing negative impact to optimizing positive impact.

[Sustainability](https://www.kryton.com/products/krystol-internal-membrane-kim/) of products is extremely important as move into a future wrought with environmental uncertainty and negative outlooks. The more we adapt our building to fit a cradle-to-cradle type system, building to ‘do good’ instead of just ‘less bad’, the more hope for future generations to not inherit a suffering planet.

Cradle-to-Cradle is an extensive subject with many sources, but one that I found particularly intriguing was William McDonough’s TED Talk a few years back. McDonough will actually be a keynote speaker at the [Greenbuild International Conference and Expo](http://greenbuildexpo.com/Exhibitor/Exhibit/2015ExhibitorInformation) in New Orleans, LA from October 22-23rd. Kryton International Inc. will also be exhibiting at the Greenbuild, informing green builders on the[ environmental benefits](https://www.kryton.com/about/sustainability-leed/environmental-benefits/) of our Krystol products.

Watch McDonough;s TED Talk [here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRjz8iTVoo)

[View full post](https://info.kryton.com/blog/2014/10/sustainable-concrete-building-cradle-cradle)

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