Redesign, No More Waste! [ENG]

1 2

Foreword What is Cradle to Cradle○ ?

R

Cradle to Cradle○ design principles R

6 8

Why promote Cradle to Cradle○ ?

R

Successful cases worldwide The Netherlands Park 20│20 Cradle to Cradle Islands Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM Product Program Level of certification and certified products worldwide

17 19 21

Cradle to Cradle○ achievements in Taiwan R

Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM products in Taiwan Conclusion

Foreword Redesign from the beginning, Sustainable use of resources “Sustainable use of resources” is not only a policy promoted and implemented by many countries around the world, but also the core value of Taiwan’s waste management strategy.

Among the approaches approved internationally to the objective of sustainable R use of resources, Cradle to Cradle○ (C2C) is the concept which advocates learning from nature and regarding all things as nutrients that flow within a biological or a technical metabolism.

The Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, Taiwan (Taiwan EPA) emphasizes that the promotion of C2C will be a long-term endeavor, and The Minister’s speech at the C2C promotion has recently called on numerous doworkshop mestic parties to establish the Taiwan C2C Strategic Alliance and founded a C2C platform for sharing applied experiences and knowledge. In 2013 the media promotion including internet, newspaper, and TV advertisements were also published and broadcast. Through all the media exposure, the Taiwan EPA hopes the public and enterprises realize the true meaning and significance of C2C and start to put it into practice. In that way, Taiwan can move forward to the future of sustainable use of resources by improving the environmental quality and quality of life as well as transforming enterprise in Taiwan.

This brochure was made by the Taiwan EPA in order to enhance the understanding of C2C among the public, companies and government agencies, so that they can begin to apply it in practice. This will mean paying attention to the material recycling issues of products at the end of their use, and to resolve existing industrial recycling problems as well as industrial pollution.

Stephen Shen

Cradle to Cradle○ is a registered trademark of MBDC, LLC. R

1

Ｒ What is Cradle to Cradle○ ?

Use the same strategy that nature does - everything is a nutrient and can be returned to the environment or recycled without a loss in quality.

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, people have been prioritizing economic development, and have designed and manufactured products with the concept of “Cradle to Grave” paradigm. The “Cradle to Grave” paradigm means that once a natural resource is excavated, it follows the one-way route of processing, manufacturing, usage and disposal (where it contaminates the environment). To compensate for the resulting resource depletion, the slogan of the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) has been propagated. However, without making fundamental changes to product design, the environment continues to be contaminated, just at a slower rate. For example, current energy saving strategies simply prolong the lives of products or optimize them for downcycling (i.e., they cannot be recycled at the same quality as virgin materials). Although this reduces the resource and energy consumption rate, the products still end up in the “grave” in the end.

MAKE Destruction of resources

Replacement of destroyed resources TAKE

WASTE

“Cradle to Grave” c 2009 EPEA GmbH ○

2

前言

To address this fundamentally flawed system, Prof. Michael Braungart began R promoting the idea of Cradle to Cradle ○ (C2C) which is also one way to "redesign" product or material. The basic concept of C2C is to use the same strategy that nature does - everything is a nutrient and can be returned to the environment or recycled without a loss in quality. C2C is a design paradigm based on the idea of nutrient management which enables product materials to be upcycled again and again in biological metabolisms and technical metabolisms. In biological metabolism, the materials are broken down and decomposed by micro-organisms to form a nutrient basis for new natural resources, whereas the technical nutrients will continually circulate as pure and valuable materials within closed-loop technical cycles.

Biological Metabolism

Technical Metabolism

c 2009 EPEA GmbH ○

3

 Cradle to Cradle○ design principles

Realization of the biological and technical cycles of materials and products

4

1. Eliminate the concept of waste Waste does not exist in nature, because the processes of each organism contribute to the health of the whole ecosystem. Within this C2C framework, scientists, designers and engineers select safe materials and optimize products and services, creating closed-loop material flows that are inherently benign and sustainable throughout the production, use, and take-back stages.

2. Use renewable energy C2C encourages active development of solar energy and other solar-derived energy such as wind energy, certain forms of hydro energy and energy from biomass.

3. Celebrate diversity C2C recognizes and values diversity in ecosystems, culture, individual needs and problem solving. It recognizes that the way to solve environmental problems is not to pursue efficiency (which reduces harmful environmental impacts) but to actively pursue eco-effectiveness, to maximize the benefits to ecology, society and the economy produced by human activity.

5

 Why promote Cradle to Cradle○ ?

The goal of promoting C2C is to utilize environmentally safe and recyclable materials for product design, utilize diverse solar-derived and other renewable energy for production and transportation processes, allow biological materials to reenter the biological cycle, and take back post consumer technical materials for technical cycles. C2C not only satisfies human needs, but also eases environmental problems and reestablishes the relationship between humans and nature.

Promoting C2C incorporates the following seven major features:

1. Reducing the economic burden of purchasing raw materials As raw materials are becoming less and less available because of high prices and resource scarcity, C2C’s closed loop systems can reduce the need to purchase raw materials, and thus yield increasing economic efficiency.

2. No waste and no pollution, eliminating the concept of waste As in the natural world, C2C calls for the continuous recycling and reuse of nutrients without degrading their value, or even using them in ways that increase their value, so that products are no longer fated to end up in a grave (final disposal) and the concept of "waste" no longer exists, just like in nature.

3. Providing a high-quality safeguard for humans and the environment C2C calls for the use of high standards to assess the impact of materials and their constituent substances on humans and the environment throughout the product manufacturing, use, and recycling stages, ensuring the health of the consuming public and the natural environment.

4. The pursuit of eco-effectiveness, achieving maximum environmental, social, and economic benefit C2C asserts that the only method that can truly resolve our problems and reduce harm to the environment is to actively maximize the benefit of human activities to the environment, society, and the economy, rather than exclusively pursuing efficiency, which only reduces harmful environmental effects.

6

5. Effective management of nutrient resources C2C recognizes that all materials must be managed as "nutrients," and asserts that material behavior, effects and fate must be considered during the stages of extraction of raw materials, production, packaging and transport, use, recycling, and reuse in processing, while designing products as either biological or industrial nutrients. These nutrients can be recycled and reused as high-quality materials through well-designed take-back systems optimized to local circumstances. In that way, the vision of a sustainable use of resource can be achieved.

6. Making Taiwan a leader in C2C development in line with current international trends Many developed countries are applying C2C in product design, process improvement, architectural design and planning, the invention of innovative materials, soil restoration, and urban planning. Among the countries of Asia, Taiwan has already taken the lead in applying C2C. In the future, Taiwan's successful experience will become an important reference for other Asian countries.

7. Providing opportunities for Taiwan's industrial transition For Taiwanese industries, the only way to change from OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to OBMs (original brand manufacturers) and to get rid of the vicious circle of the price war is to invest in product design innovations which enhance product value. As global environmental standards are becoming more complex and strict, domestic enterprises can keep pace with this green movement, by utilizing C2C during the industrial transition process.

Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver product - office desk CM

7

Successful cases worldwide The Netherlands With an understanding of the challenges of sustainable management, the Dutch government incorporated C2C into national strategies for sustainable development and resource management, promoted sustainable development and industrial innovation, and drafted C2C implementation strategies for the areas of sustainable architecture and planning, product design, and administration.

C2C has induced a broad, favorable response from all segments of the Dutch society. Enterprises, academic institutions, research institutes, and NGOs have begun related research, discussion and practices. The Netherlands has become a vibrant C2C community, leading Dutch people towards a sustainable future.

Park 20|20 in the Netherlands

8

Located in Hoofddorp, Park 20|20 is only a few minutes from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport by car. The park contains 89,000 m2 of office and business space and 3,700 m2 of public areas. Departing from the conventional model of a business park, the park seeks to become an all-round community. Park 20|20 is the world's first full-scale business park providing "resource recycling" services, and strives to provide an ideal sustainable working environment in line with C2C. C2C is applied throughout Park 20|20, where the construction materials for the buildings are C2C certified and are able to enter nutrient cycles.

The integrated renewable energy supply systems and the optimized design of the buildings reduce CO2 emissions and purify the indoor air. Besides this, a central water management and treatment system allows the collection of rainwater for sanitary use, thus reducing the water consumption and wastewater discharges of the park. Centralized waste management using economies of scale through the park management center will make Park 20|20 a leading model of a business park that is both eco-effective and economically viable.

Conceptual drawing of Park 20|20

9

The “Cradle to Cradle Islands� (C2CI) is an Interreg IVB North Sea Region Project initiated in 2009 by 22 partners from six countries around the North Sea. The islands all face similar problems, including lack of resources such as energy, raw materials and water, geographical isolation, environmental impacts, and rapid population loss. In order to ensure the sustainable development of the islands, the partners are relying on C2C to develop alternative energy technologies and implement sustainable development strategies for raw materials and water, with the goal of achieving zero environmental impact by 2030.

Energy-self-sufficient cottage developed as part of the C2CI

10

Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM Product Program The Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM Product Program, established in 2005 by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) in the USA and Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA) in Germany and administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) <c2ccertified.org>, is currently the sole international C2C product certification system. The program examines five aspects: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness, striving to incorporate environmental protection, sustainable use of resources, and social concern in the overall product lifecycle. Depending on the requirements achieved in each of the five categories, the certification results are split into a 5-level system of basic, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum, which reflect the state of ongoing improvement of products with regard to C2C certification standards.

Graphic: Willy Mann, Copyright 2013 C2CPII Cradle to Cradle Certified is a certification mark licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute CM

11

1. Material health The ABC-X Material Health Assessment Methodology is applied to determine whether chemical substances or materials used in products are hazardous or deleterious to human and environmental health in the context of C2C scenario, where A or B rating indicates little to no risk associated with this substance; C rating indicates low to moderate risk associated with this substance acceptable for continued use; X rating indicates high hazard and risk associated with the use of this substance which should be phased out; Grey rating indicates incomplete data of this substance which cannot be characterized.

2. Material reutilization Products are evaluated for their nutrient potential and nutrient recovery in accordance with their respective metabolisms (i.e., biological or technical cycle). Furthermore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Material Reutilization Scoreâ&#x20AC;? calculated according to the recyclable/compostable and the recycled /rapidly renewable content of products and a nutrient management strategy for actively recovering or cycling nutrients in their intended metabolisms are also considered in this category.

3. Renewable energy and carbon management For Basic level, product manufacturers should quantify the total energy use and direct on-site carbon emissions associated with the final manufacturing stage. For Bronze level, a renewable energy use and carbon management strategy must be developed. For Silver and Gold level, Renewable energy should be used and carbon offsets be made during the product's final process stage. For Platinum level, over 100% of purchased electricity is renewably sourced or offset with renewable energy projects for the final manufacturing stage of the product.

12

4. Water stewardship The requirements include compliance with industrial wastewater discharge standards in local laws and regulations, developing management strategies for localand business-specific water resource-related issues, conducting a facility-wide water audit, improvement of process chemicals in factory effluent, and developing a management strategy for water resource issues in conjunction with suppliers.

5. Social fairness For the Basic level, companies should conduct a streamlined self-audit with regard to corporate social responsibility issues, and develop a management plan based on the assessment results. For higher levels, a full social responsibility self-audit must be performed, as well as evaluation of the effects on the improvements of social issues within the enterprise and in its supply chain, and completion of a facility-level audit by a third party organization.

13

Level of certification and certified products worldwide The Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM Products Program assigns the following five levels to products in accordance with the number of standard items they comply with:

1. Basic The Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM Basic product is 100% characterized by its generic materials (e.g., aluminum, polyethylene, steel, etc.) and/or product categories and names (e.g., coatings). Most basic certified products currently consist of building materials, including flooring, bricks, roofing materials, and artificial turf.

2. Bronze The certification program added bronze level in 2013, and few companies have as yet certified for this grade. This level basically requires assessment of 75% of constituent materials and the drafting of a renewable energy use strategy. Most bronze certified products are interior design products and furniture, primarily carpets.

3. Silver Silver is currently the most common certification level, and chiefly requires assessment of 95% of constituent materials, and use of 5% renewable energy and 5% carbon offsets. The largest proportion of silver certified products consist of interior design products and furniture including carpet, flooring, chairs, cabinets, and tables.

4. Gold Gold level chiefly requires assessment of 100% of constituent materials, elimination or replacement of all toxic substances, and use of 50% renewable energy and 50% carbon offsets. The largest portion of Gold certified products currently consist of personal care products, including shampoo, hair conditioner, and skin care products.

14

5. Platinum

Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM is a certification mark licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

Platinum is the highest grade, and indicates an ideally designed C2C product. Products with this grade may not have any constituent materials that must be disposed of; 100% of the constituent materials must be assessed, and more than 100% renewable energy and carbon offsets must be used.

Although no product made by any company has achieved compliance with the requirements for this grade of certification yet, many companies are striving to attain this goal, and are consequently continuing to improve their product design and production processes.

c 2013 C2CPII â&#x2014;&#x2039;

15

Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver product - carpet CM

Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold product - personal & home care CM

Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold product - laundry soap CM

Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver product â&#x20AC;&#x201C; desk CM

16

 Cradle to Cradle â&#x2014;&#x2039; achievements in Taiwan

The Taiwan EPA has recently been actively promoting C2C 1. The first C2C master plan in Asia for six themes: agriculture, industry, transportation, building, energy, and urban planning, was proposed and executed to enable Taiwan to step forward to the vision of becoming a C2CI (Cradle to Cradle Island).

2. The Taiwan C2C information platform was established for sharing C2C knowledge, encouraging good C2C practices, stimulating C2C involvement among the public and in the corporate world, and connecting with C2C communities worldwide.

3. Taiwan C2C Strategic Alliance was founded in 2012 by prominent industries, governments, academics, research institutes and NGOs in order to align Taiwan with international C2C development trends, to implement the policy of sustainable use of resources, and to improve the competitiveness of Taiwanese industries.

4. To date, nine domestic products have been assisted by the Taiwan EPA in receiving C2C product design advice; three of these have been awarded C2C product certification.

5. C2C promotion workshop was held by Taiwan C2C Strategic Alliance on September 13th 2013. The event featured the sharing of practical experiences in C2C promotion as well as the successful C2C case stories by C2C experts and by those companies assisted in C2C projects by the Taiwan EPA.

Taiwan C2C platform

17

1

2

3

4

5 1 Inaugural meeting of Taiwan C2C Strategic Alliance 2 2013 Mid-Year Conference of Taiwan C2C Strategic Alliance 3 2013 Mid-Year Conference of Taiwan C2C Strategic Alliance 4 2013 C2C promotion workshop 5 2013 C2C promotion workshop

6

18

6 2013 Year-end Conference of Taiwan C2C Strategic Alliance

Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM products in Taiwan Recycling resources to achieve zero waste & helping companies with cost reduction â&#x2014;?

Gray eco blanket (Silver level) Da Ai Technology's gray eco blanket is Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM at Silver level, and is an environmentally-friendly blanket produced from 100 % recycled PET plastic bottles. The material is soft, warm, comfortable and easy to wash.

While drying quickly, it does not fade when washed in water.

â&#x2014;?

Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver product - Gray eco blanket CM

Taifoam Nature natural yoga mat material (Basic level) Taifoam Nature, a brand new yoga mat material developed by the SJ Group, is a type of foam rubber produced using natural materials.

The use of rice husks instead of conventional fillers not only lessens the odor of natural rubber and reduces product weight, but also makes good use of agricultural waste. Because it is made entirely from natural materials, Taifoam Nature is recyclable and also biodegradable.

Cradle to Cradle Certified Basic product Taifoam Nature CM

19

●

Hair O'right Goji Berry Volumizing Shampoo uses more than 96% natural substances. The product's certified organic goji berry extract and foaming agent which contains high levels of antioxidants can neutralize scalp oil and strengthens hair roots. The shampoo is free of hormones, benzoic acid preservatives, or conventional shampoo additives such as formaldehyde.

Cradle to Cradle Certified Basic product - Goji Berry Volumizing Shampoo

CM-

●

CM-

●

CM

20

PP fabric (ML-P3094F) (Silver level) Minlan’s PP fabric (ML-P3094F) is a fully recyclable material, this fabric is eco-friendly, lightness, quickdrying, water resistance, chemicals & stains resistance, perfect colorfastness and good abrasion (pilling) resistance, this fabric made in a low energy consumption and less environmental pollution production process, also ensure customers' safety and comfort by excellent heat insulation and no smell due to bacteriostatic properties.

Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver product - PP fabric ML-P3094F

Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver product - Stone paper

Goji Berry Volumizing Shampoo (Basic level)

Stone paper (Silver level) The most important feature of Taiwan Lung Meng Technology’s stone paper is that it does not require the cutting down of trees. Rock (inorganic minerals) and HDPE are used instead of wood pulp, and the resulting paper has excellent characteristics, such as being waterproof, abrasion-resistant, and easy to fold. Finally, stone paper can be recycled with HDPE plastic.

Conclusion "5R" is the key to zero-waste resource recycling To achieve the goal of zero-waste resource recycling, the Taiwan EPA has been actively promoting 5R: Reduction, Reuse, Recycling, Energy Recovery, and Land Reclamation.

Policy tool of sustainable use of resources - 5R

21

"Redesign" is the new vigor and dynamism to promote 5R Waste management needs to begin at the source, with careful selection of raw materials that takes into account their suitability for recycling, ensuring that products are either degradable or can be recycled and reused. Redesign can imbue waste management in Taiwan with new vigor and dynamism, thereby realizing the vision of zero waste resource recycling.

Policy tool of sustainable use of resources - 5R + Redesign

22

Memo

23

Memo

24

Memo

25

Issued in January 2014 Publisher

Stephen Shu-Hung SHEN

Issued by

Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, Taiwan

Planned by

Tien-Chi WU

Editor-in-chief

Ying-Ying LAI

Executive editor

Harvey HOUNG and Chi-Ming CHIU

Design editors

Yi-Hua LEE, Hong-Yuan LEE, Yu-Chieh CHOU and Ying-Chen CHUEH

Design printing

Cambridge Engineering Consultants, INC EPEA Internationale Umweltforschung GmbH Taiwan Branch Zheng He Design Printing Co., Ltd.

ďź&#x160;The paper used in this brochure is Stone paper which is Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM at Silver level.