Sustainable innovationand

cradle-to-cradle

Version sept 2010

Saskia van Stroe-BiezenProfessor of Innovation Management in International Perspective

Rapid changes ask for innovation

4 Key Success Factors (KSFs):

1. Vision and strategy (lesson 5/6)

2. Sustainability (lesson 5)

3. Customer insight (lesson 7)

4. Team creativity and social networking (lesson 7)

Sustainability

Customers and society ask for it

and the world asks for it!

Product Market

Organisation

POM modelThinking model of Smart Group

How to come to a vision?

• Lifespan products decreases• Personification of products• Many products from Asia• Substitution of metals by plastics• Increase in usage of high-tech in products

• The world becomes smaller• The market is increasing

• Less and less fossil fuels• CO2 increases• Climate change• Acidification of our seas by CO2• Deforestation, mainly in the Third World• Depletion of top soil• Use of farmland for biomass cultivation• Famine• Wars and conflicts• Political tensions

The urgency of sustainable innovation!

Cradle-to-Cradle

sustainability from a new perspective

Introduction films:

NL: Tegenlicht tv-programme:http://www.vpro.nl/programma/tegenlicht/afleveringen/30458986/

DE: Nie mehr Mull(till 11.30 min)

Vorschauhttp://www01.wdr.de/tv/diestory/videos/uebersicht.jsp

Discuss in small groups

• the things you liked about Cradle-to-Cradle and • the things you think are unrealistic/idealistic

Report back to the group

Attention: select feb 2010

Further details: http://www.wdr.de/tv/bab/sendungsbeitraege/2010/0915/cradle.jsp

Cradle-to-Cradle

sustainability from a new perspective

Eco-efficiency:AvoidanceMinimalisationReductionGuilt-management=less bad

Cradle-to-Cradle: less bad is not good!

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Eco-efficiency:AvoidanceMinimalisationReductionGuilt-management=less bad

Eco-effectiveness:Opportunities

InnovationNew ways

Abundance=good!

Cradle-to-Cradle: less bad is not good!

How to do it in a good way?

4 golden rules for C2C

Golden rule 1:

Our waste equals our food

Our waste equals our food:• Food for the biosphere (compostable, give it back to

nature)• Food for the technosphere (recycle, don’t downcycle!)

Design:• Keep bio and techno separate• Easy disassembly

Regenerate

Regenerate

Take

MakeMake

Take

BIOLOGICAL cycle

TECHNICAL cycleRegenerate

Regenerate

Take

MakeMake

Take

See for more details: http://epea-hamburg.org/cradle-to-cradle/prinzipien/naehrstoffkreislaeufe.html

A distiction between 2 kind of goods. What about paper?

Cherry tree in full blossom

Eco-effectiveness: waste = food

Examples

• C2C book

• Herman Miller chair

• gDiapers: flushable diaper

http://www.gdiapers.com/gdiapers101/watch-the-videos

• 96% recyclable• 42% from recycled material • Made with green energy

Golden rule 2:

The sun is our income

Buildings:Energy-neutral

The sun is our income• the sun delivers thousands of times more energy than

we need on earth!

• technology opens a lot of possibilities

Transportation:solar car

Golden rule 3:

Our air, soil and water are healthy

Our air, soil and water are healthy:

• Don’t use “bad” raw materials

• For many toxic raw materials good and safe alternatives are available

• No “uncontrolled” burning of waste

Golden rule 4:

Respect diversity

Respect diversity:

• Diversity in flora and fauna: avoid monocultures

• Diversity between countries/cultures: don’t grow crop on a non-suitable location solutions for sustainability are locally determinedtransport: how to enjoy e.g. Parma ham, exotic fruits

• Seasonal diversity: eating strawberries in winter asks for a lot of transport

Holistically sustainable innovation

Ecology (Planet)

Equity (People) Economy (Profit)

Cradle-to-cradle: celebrate Ecology AND Economy AND Equity

the 3 E’s

But we need to add an E!

Holistic approachWe need ‘Embedment’ to make it structural!

The sustainability tetrahedron: the 4 E’s

Equity

Embedment

Ecology

Economy

We have seen an urgency for sustainability andCradle-to-cradle as a sustainability philosophy

Three possible perspectives:

1. Do nothing: the world down the drain

2. Delay: eco-efficiency

3. A beautiful world for generations to come: eco-effectiveness

Is there also an urgency for any randomly chosen sector?

ICT

Is there also an urgency for any randomly chosen sector?

ICT

Ecology (Planet)

Equity (People) Economy (Profit)

• Waste to Third World countries• Brain-drain Third World countries• Way of collaboration (mail iso meeting)

Impact of ICT on the three E’s

• Short product life cycle• Toxic materials• High material usage• Waste to Third World countries• Electricity usage

• Electricity usage• Paper usage (x3 within 10 years)• Increase of raw material costs

=0,5 kg

How can we do it differently?Eco-efficient: • Design for disassembly/design for modulation/upgrading/extension• Default: duplex printing and 2 pages per A4• Etc…

Eco-effectief:• Use different materials• Use solar energy• Use washable paper• Store released heat in the ground• Heat wheel

• Etc….

Google covered 90% of its head quarter roof surface withsolar panels

Excercise:

Apply what you’ve learnt toa company of your choice and determine

key opportunities for this company