Improvement of Skills in the Green Economy through the Advanced Training Programs on Cradle to Cradle E-Book

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 318

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Energy efficiency, climate and biodiversity protection are among the top priorities of the EU and all member states. In order to meet the challenges of growing landfills, scarcity of resources, air pollution, to name onlya few of them, new ways of thinking and of economic activites are essential. This is exactly what the Cradle to Cradle® (C2C) concept delivers:: products flow in infinite material life cycles thus being economically successful, conducive to the environment and healthy for consumers without producing any waste. Cradle to Cradle® concept, born as vision by Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart and William McDonough in 1990ies, has become real. It is well known on the world market: more than 1.500 products have been developed. Despite the advantages , the Cradle to Cradle approach has mostly been used by big companies and is hardly known in SMEs. Thus a EU funded project was started in 2014 to develop trainings for Cradle to Cradle for SMEs. This book contains the training, including train-the-trainer, experiences and presentations made at the final conference in 2016. It contains substantial contributions by authors like Michael Braungart, Thomas Straubhaar and others.

Leseprobe

Content

2. The Cradle to Cradle Design Concept – Remaking the way we make things

2.1 The Cradle to Cradle Design concept

2.2. Case studies

3. Cradle to Cradle Prototypes

3.1 Intersectoral: All Branches

3.2 Intersectoral: Office and Administration

3.3 Prototype: Building and Construction

3.4 Prototype: Production

3.5 Prototype: Trade

4. Advanced Train the Trainer Program “Cradle to Cradle for SMEs”

4.1. Concept

4.2. Curriculum

4.3. Evaluation

4.4. Recommendations for implementation

5. Advanced Training Program on C2C for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs)

5.1. Knowledge According to the Individual Needs – KAIN Method

5.2. Concept

5.3. Evaluation

5.4. Recommendations for further use

5.5. Examination Regulations and international recognition

6. Dissemination and transfer activities

6.1. Overview

6.2. Results of the Hanseatic Conference 2016

Welcoming Address

Circular Economy – powered by Cradle to Cradle

Circular economy in Hungary and experiences with Cradle to Cradle in SMEs project

Circular Economy in Poland: Lessons learnt from the first “Cradle to Cradle” training

New possibilities for circular economy through sustainable management in the SME sector

Market stage model of circular economy

The ecologization of economy of the Republic of Belarus: problems and prospects

Sustainable risk management in SMEs

Digitised globalisation: From goods trade to data transfer

Circular Economy across the Mare Balticum – Working Groups´ results from the 11th Hanseatic Conference

Other Publications by the Baltic Sea Academy

Members of the Hanse Parlament

Members of the Baltic Sea Academy

1. Introduction

Energy efficiency, climate and biodiversity protection belong to the EU top priorities and are likewise of considerable and growing importance of the economy in the member states1. In order to meet the challenges of growing landfills, scarcity of resources, air pollution, to name a few of them, new ways of thinking and of economic activity are essential. This is exactly what the Cradle to Cradle® (C2C) concept is: products flow in infinite material life cycles thus being economically successful, conducive to the environment and healthy for consumers without producing any kind of waste. Besides, the C2C is not a brandnew concept that has been popped up for a short moment like a fashionable product that is needed by nobody shortly afterwards. Cradle to Cradle® concept, born as vision by Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart and William McDonough in 1990ies, has become real, and now it is well known on the world market: more than 1.500 products have been developed according to the C2C principles and some regions even switch processual on C2C.

The way of production "from the cradle to cradle" is directly counterposed to the prevailing production model "cradle to grave", where the material cycles are set up regardless of conservation of resources or environmental protection. So far, though, there lacks targeting of C2C concept in SMEs in Europe while increasing energy efficiency and environmental protection is of growing importance in SMEs. Moreover, SMEs with C2C are more future oriented, capture new market segments and create new jobs to reduce their costs and make a vital contribution to tackling the energy and environmental challenges in the long term.

Despite the advantages the Cradle to Cradle approach it has been used only in big companies and is hardly known in SMEs.

Given this, in 2014 the EU co-funded project “Improvement of skills in the green economy through an advanced training program Cradle to Cradle” (C2C for SMEs) was launched. For the past two years the lead of the project has been taken by the Hanse Parlament being an umbrella organization of 50 chambers of commerce, crafts and industry from 13 Baltic Sea Region countries. In 2010 Hanse Parlament established an association Baltic Sea Academy of currently 17 member universities from 9 countries. Together they focus on promotion of innovation and qualification for SMEs. Those 50 chambers and 17 universities are important associated partners and disseminate the project results on a wide basis.

The core partner of the project - the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), was founded by Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart almost 30 years ago. EPEA brings the expertise of C2C and development and carrying out of further trainings in this field.

Further project partners are the Chamber of Crafts in Schwerin with its Training and Technology Center, the Lower Silesian Chamber of Craft and Small and Medium-sized Businesses in Wroclaw and the Hungarian Association of Craftsmen’s Corporations having close cooperation with SMEs, expertise of their needs and human resources and facilities to train.

Satakunta University of Applied Sciences contributes with excellent Know-How in scientific evaluation and training planning inter alia and last but not least the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Gdansk makes crucial content-related contributions and supports with founded knowledge of environmental issues in particular.

The overall aim of the project is to sensitize owners and employees in SMEs for the topic Cradle to Cradle and to empower those to use C2C through tailored advanced training.

This is accompanied by the important goal to qualify people in terms of future labor market needs and to provide skills that are of growing importance for the future of companies. Therefore in the project life time advanced training on C2C for SMEs is developed. Participating in the training C2C methodology, products and the way to apply C2C is introduced, receiving knowledge and skills in an interactive, multi-stage process with the possibility to apply C2C methodology during the training in own enterprise. The environmental management in SMEs is particularly addressed, so that environmentally conscious entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills are promoted. The developed advanced training is tested in practice in Germany, Poland and Hungary and subsequently transferred to the associated partners that receive constant consultations to enable sustainable implementation of C2C.

Another aim is to qualify employees of universities and chambers on the subject so that well qualified lecturers are constantly available for SMEs as trainers and advisors for individual support.

So this book on the one hand comprises all main project results with materials that can be freely used and on the other hand contributions on the project subject that were prepared according to the speeches made at the final project transfer and dissemination conference in Hamburg from May 18 – 19, 2016.

At this point, sincere thanks go to all project partners for the very committed and good cooperation in the past two years and the experts for the valuable contributions during the conference and in the present publication.

1 For more information visit the European Commission website for Climate Action: http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/2030/index_en.htm (5 July 2016)

2. The Cradle to Cradle Design Concept – Remaking the way we make things2

2.1 The Cradle to Cradle Design concept

The Cradle to Cradle Design – An introduction

Cradle to Cradle® (C2C) was developed in the 1990s by Michael Braungart, William McDonough et al., based on research at the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency in Hamburg, Germany, for designing beneficial economic, social and environmental features into products, processes and systems. Cradle to Cradle® is primarily an entrepreneurial and innovation concept that starts by determining the intended benefits of a product or service instead of focusing on minimizing negative environmental impacts.

To enhance quality and add value for stakeholders, C2C promotes innovation partnerships along the entire chain of a product, including manufacturing, distribution, use, disassembly, recovery and reuse. By characterizing hundreds of products and thousands of materials for their human and environmental health attributes, as well as defining systems to safely and fully cycle materials into new products, C2C has already provided a practical yet inspirational scientific and business model for improving quality.

Extensive books, cover stories and documentary films have been published and broadcasted about C2C since the 1990s. The book Cradle to Cradle is well known and translated into at least a dozen languages.

Cradle to Cradle® can be divided into these categories that make up together the C2C Framework:

Philosophy e.g., a quality-based innovation platform for benefitting the economy, ecology and social equity.

Principles that are translated into measurable criteria.

Application criteria.

Philosophy

The conventional approach of government and industry has been to minimize the environmental impacts of their activities by being “less bad” as products go from “Cradle to Grave”. This approach is often regarded as involving extra costs for stakeholders without many quantifiable benefits, often related to sustainability.

However, the Cradle to Cradle® Design Protocol has taken a fundamentally different approach that generates benefits for stakeholders by going beyond the “grave” and beyond conventional interpretations of “environment”.

Cradle to Cradle® is a design paradigm that focuses on innovation to enhance the quality of products so they are:

more practical for the user

healthier for everyone affected by the product

beneficial for the economy and the environment.

The principles

Quality enhancement is achieved by focusing on three innovation principles:

Use Current Solar Income. Energy that can be renewed as it is used.

Celebrate Diversity. Species, Cultural, and Innovation Diversity

Biosphere and Technosphere

To apply those principles, Cradle to Cradle® focuses on optimizing the intended use of a product. It distinguishes between two main intended pathways that products follow: consumption pathways where products are designed to safely enter biological systems and service pathways where products safely enter technical systems to be part of new future product generations.

Products for consumption are designed in a way that degradation by-products generated during their use (e.g. abrasion or dilution in air, water or soil) can support the biological systems they enter. Biological resources can be renewed through agriculture or reforestation leading to next generations of products. Examples of consumption products are: biodegradable textiles, cosmetics, cleaning agents or vehicle brake pads that wear out.

Products for service are designed to be chemically stable during use and get dismantled into material resources, known as ´technical nutrients´ after they have fulfilled their function. The ingredients in these renewed technical nutrients are carefully defined so they can serve as resources for the production of next generations of service products. Examples of service products are electronic appliances and cars.

biological cycle for Products for Consumption

technical cycle for Products for Service

Figure 1: The technical and biological cycle

The Application Tools and Criteria

The criteria or tools outlined here are intended to enhance and accelerate implementation of the C2C criteria. These tools are sometimes not unique to C2C. It is their integration rather than any individual factor that results in C2C benefits.

Examples of C2C Application Tools and Criteria

Actively Beneficial Qualities

Material and Products which are defined regarding their ingredients and have an active positive impact on human and environment.

Defined Product Recycling

Dedicated sorting, disassembly and recycling of high quality and defined materials that are more economic to recover on their own instead of being mixed with other material streams. This also facilitates upcycling to improve materials quality and use.

Define Use Pathways

This describes the use of materials in their pathways from sourcing to manufacturing, use, disposal and reuse, recycling or decomposition.

Define Use Period

Many “green” criteria require products to be “durable” to last as long as possible. However, this approach is often counterproductive because when products last longer than they are optimal useful they perpetuate obsolete technologies, resulting in reduced benefits for users and unnecessary loss of revenues of business. The durable approach can also make recovery of materials more difficult for example by making them harder to disable. Because of this, C2C emphasizes designing materials or ingredients according to an intended use period of the product, to promote practical recovery of materials so they can be used in new products.

Material Pooling

This occurs when diverse industries develop a pool of defined materials to achieve economy of scale, commercial flexibility and improved quality.

Preferred ingredients list

These are lists of positively defined materials to achieve commercial flexibility and improved quality in the frame of Cradle to Cradle requirements.

2.2. Case studies

The Cradle to Cradle® concept is becoming more and more popular for companies worldwide. Every kind of product can be designed and optimized according to the principles of the Cradle to Cradle® concept. The chosen materials and substances are always seen as nutrients and are conducted in a biological or technical cycle.

Gugler

Cradle to Cradle printing products mark the start of a new era in printing. In 2011, after intensive research, the Austrian communication company gugler* succeeded in becoming the first company to produce printing products capable of fully and safely re-entering the biosphere at the end of their useful life. This led to Cradle to Cradle Silver certification for its pureprint product group. All substances contained in the Cradle to Cradle certified printing products have been assessed in collaboration with the environmental research institute EPEA Hamburg.

Guided by the principle that an effective economy is preferable to an efficient one, gugler* designed its printing products to ensure that they will be 100% degradable after optimizations. The long-term goal is to have so many Cradle to Cradle Certified™ printing products that toxic waste is no longer produced, but instead, sludge that can be used as a natural fertilizer. Even before its Cradle to Cradle certification, Gugler* had established very high environmental standards and the company has always been one of the pioneers in the field of green printing in Europe. The first printing company to receive the Austrian eco label, gugler* attaches great importance to environmental collaborations and projects. In 2015, gugler* landed the first licensee for Cradle to Cradle pureprint production - a printing company in Denmark. This was an important step towards a promising future for the Cradle to Cradle printing community.

Stoll Giroflex AG

Company founder Albert Stoll already emphasised sustainability. Back then he built his factory opposite Koblenz railway station in Switzerland and to this day many raw materials still arrive by train. Since the 1980s already the Swiss seating furniture specialist Stoll Giroflex AG has focused consistently on using and recycling low-emission materials, so that in 1992 it succeeded in bringing to market the first nearly one hundred per cent recyclable chair series, the giroflex 32/33.

With giroflex 656 the globally operating company has now once again managed to design a complete range of chairs that meets both the expectations of today's customers and the requirements of environmental protection. This series, consisting of office swivel, conference and visitor’s chair, fully conforms with the "Cradle to Cradle" principle.

In 2012, also the G353 received a Cradle to Cradle Silver certification. As for the G656 the certificate is only valid for several product variations and not for the entire product series. For the G656 the certificate is valid for the Giroflex G656 Swivel, G656 Visitor and G656 Conference Chair. The certification of the G353 includes the Giroflex G353 with the black plastic 5-arm base (not aluminium), and only if sold with the Flora style upholstery fabric OR the shrink/ mesh Runnermesh G490 Backrest 3D spacer fabric.

Pollutant-free materials were used, which at the end of their product life cycle return to the biological and technical materials cycle and become what they once were again. In addition, this series is so designed that the product life can be extended further because all parts can be replaced several times.

Cradle to Cradle and business

Sustainable business practices and sustainable corporate strategies in our economic system have become a mainstream economic measure of performance. Resource efficiency measures or "end-of-pipe" initiatives might have good intentions – however without asking the right questions or proposing a viable alternative to a linear “take-make-waste” system. Ultimately, they are strategies for managing negative effects - an agenda built on trying to be "less bad."

Balancing traditional economic goals with social and environmental concerns becomes a measure of a company. The concept of the triple top line moves accountability to the beginning of the design process, assigning value to a multiplicity of economic, ecological, and social questions that enhance product value. When asked upfront, these questions can drive intelligent product development and lead to design decisions that yield positive effects rather than limited liabilities.

Capitalism, even in a social market economy, identifies value almost exclusively in the economic realm. Yet products designed for economic gain have an enormous impact on the social and ecological world, ergo social and ecological externalities, profits are privatized and costs socialized. Environmental groups and regulatory agencies that have emerged in response to those unintended consequences of industry tend to identify value primarily in preserving environmental health. Social movements are inclined to value the pursuit of equity most highly.

Cradle to Cradle® as a new design perspective creates triple top line growth. Design for the triple top line follows the laws of nature to give industry the tools to develop systems that safely generate prosperity.

Figure 2 Triple top line model

Economy: The goal of an effective company is to stay in business as it discovers ways to generate positive social and environmental effects.

Equity (Society): The questions of profitability and fairness. Are the employees producing a promising product earning a living wage?

Ecology/ Equity: Equity is still in the foreground, but Ecology has entered the picture. The questions arising at this intersection of values might explore the ways in which a product could enhance the health of employees and customers. Continuing to Ecology/ Equity, Cradle to Cradle considers questions of safety or fairness in relation to the entire ecosystem.

Cradle to Cradle in Enterprises

Businesses are confronted by the growing demand for sustainable products and services. In the B2B market in particular, there has been a rapid rise in sustainability requirements in calls for tenders.

Companies deploy Cradle to Cradle in different ways. C2C can be a ‘next step’ in the sustainability or CSR policy due to a decision to develop C2C products or services. This is happening in companies that have engaged in sustainability issues in their organization in the past, such as Van Houtum, Ahrend, EuroCeramic and Mosa. C2C is given a position ‘on top of ’the mission of sustainability. However, Cradle to Cradle can also be a starting point for a rapid and complete change of direction in the organizational strategy. As in the case of DESSO, this decided to become a C2C company in 2007. For ECOstyle on the other hand, the particular usage of materials is so much associated with the company that it could well be detrimental to use the term C2C. For that reason it was decided to apply the C2C philosophy primarily to the new accommodation in the ECOmunitypark, and not to the marketing of ECOstyle’s products.

There is a clear difference between the companies in the use of C2C in their positioning. Some are primarily interested in certifying C2C products; others are striving for the brand and/ or the business itself to be fully associated with C2C.

Examples:

Van Houtum applied four marks of quality to its Satino Black toilet paper: C2C, EU Eco label, CO neutral and FSC recycled;

EuroCeramic positions C2C a longside CSR and energy.EuroCeramic profiles its products, glazed stoneware pipes, on the basis of two arguments: longer life span and lower management costs;

DESSO,Mosa,Van Houtum and Ahrend profile themselves as C2C companies;

ECOstyle has C2C products but has decided not to use the term as such

Positive Impact on Enterprises

BUSINESS BENEFITS - GOOD DESIGN EQUALS GOOD BUSINESS

An integral part of the Cradle to Cradle philosophy is the belief that good design equals good business. Producing effective, safe and re-usable goods can improve the competitive advantage in the marketplace for business. The economic impact of Cradle to Cradle products can be shown through higher than average sells, performance, positive growth and increased profits, alongside significant cost savings for water and energy used to create the product.

Possible benefits are:

Deeper knowledge about the product

Cost reduction

Improved product value

New revenue streams

Avoided risks

Overall, Cradle to Cradle products help companies to be recognized as a frontrunner in innovation, design and sustainability. And just as important, it provides a major competitive edge for businesses. Specifically SME can take advantage of thier position within the market and easily implement beneficial process and product throughout their company.

2 Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA)

3. Cradle to Cradle Prototypes

Depending on the nature of SMEs’ activities they can affect C2C and benefit thereof very variously, for example, when a SME acts in service sector or production sector. Therefore, SMEs of different industries have accordingly various possibilities for C2C. Therefore, for guidance and first classification of the different influence and possible application of C2C, SMEs’ prototypes are developed. The main classification criteria for building prototypes are the belonging of a SME to a specific branch and the economic activity.

Moreover, pursuing an optimization process with progressive solutions over time different levels of C2C use are possible to achieve, e.g. "Inspired by C2C” or “Certified by C2C ".

3.1 Intersectoral: All Branches

Possible Issues

From a Cradle to Cradle perspective, products are generally not well defined within the supply chain, which means the generic materials are mostly known but little or nothing about the minor ingredients. Furthermore, products enter the market, which are not designed for recycling. The main challenge lies in designing products, which are appropriate for continuous material flows, either making the materials suitable for returning safely and completely to the biosphere or being recovered at a consistently high quality. Therefore, the implementation of a comprehensive quality concept by positively defining products/ materials/ingredients and the subsequent input into (recycling) systems is fundamental.

Remark: “Positive definition” of products means in the C2C sense knowing the exact composition of a product down to the level of chemical names described by the international CAS-numbers.

C2C Potential and chances

The major tasks for all branches are as follows

Definition of the inputs (composition of the material flows, “know what it is”) with respect to high quality recycling

Positive Definition of products/materials/ingredients

Collective understanding of recycling

Set new standards of innovative product development for the industry by defining “positive”, beneficial and innovative products and developing an eco-effective business model for different branches.

Creating products whose re-entrance into production is already taken into account at the product design stage.

Improving lifecycle management into nutrient management to biological / technical metabolisms.

Opportunities of Cradle to Cradle® are shown in the following sections on a general basis as well as specified on particular branches.

3.2 Intersectoral: Office and Administration

Branches

All prototypes with offices Administration

Ministries

Consulting companies

Government

Chambers of commerce

Administration

Associations

Possible Issues

Health effects on employees due to low indoor air quality (e.g. off-gassing of textiles or toner dust)

Problematic waste management due to missing material flow management

Take back systems to be established

Electronics (see e.g. WEEE Guideline, RohS Guideline)

Packaging

Batteries

Restriction of problematic and toxic substances (further than REACH)

Development of Service Concepts for technical products

Running out of materials will probably being earlier than running out of energy

C2C Potential

Conducting office material (e.g. paper) in cycles

Use of certified office equipment

Introduce material flow management

Use of healthy and cyclable office equipment

Office buildings with C2C elements (see under “Building and Construction)

Purchase renewable energy

Water Management according to C2C

Communication to customers about C2C achievements

Improving social quality of the workplace

C2C regions for implementation of the general idea of a comprehensive quality (including reutilization properties)

Creating partnerships under the new C2C aspect

Enhance use of renewable energy

Possible chances and benefits

Creating positive agenda for office improvement

Reduce waste management costs

Getting money for sorted fractions like paper

Improve health of employees

Becoming more attractive for new employees

Creating technical cycles

Meeting EU requirements e.g. on recycling

Less CO2 emissions due to recycling

Development of new technology for recycling

Import of technology from other countries with enhancement of technological level

Organization as a catalyst in use of renewable energy

Added value

Potential cost savings from a macroeconomic view due to material cycles, refer to “circular economy”

Less dependent on import of raw materials like metals

Frame conditions to be taken into account

C2C frameworks and partnerships not yet existing

People and industry not yet familiar with C2C and possible effects

Little consciousness in offices about C2C

Possibly low standard of municipal-waste management

Possibly also low standard in separate collection of used products

3.3 Prototype: Building and Construction

Branches

Concrete, cement

Glass

Wall covering (indoor and outdoor)

Wood for construction purposes

Flooring (plastics; textiles see under textiles)

Indoor equipment (see there)

Coatings, paints for construction materials

Lighting

Possible Issues

Construction materials not designed or selected in view of later de-construction

Construction materials not safe from health standpoint for use in buildings

Indoor air quality negatively affected by non-optimized materials

Big amount of waste during demolition

Value of materials and esp. metals which can be obtained during demolition not realized

Dissipation of problematic materials and chemicals in the environment due to less effective waste management

First step required: Sorting of non-optimized materials during demolition

“Recycling” with undefined materials which are not designed for recycling

C2C Potential

Change of thinking from C2C perspective: Regard of a building as a raw material base

Deeper knowledge about properties and ingredients of construction products Define construction materials for biological or technical cycles

Use of Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM construction materials (LEED points possible under certain preconditions)

Design of underground construction materials according to biological environment (e.g. no release of toxic metals)

Roof greening for improved room climate and diversity

Include defined C2C elements in new buildings

Integrate renewable energy

Water recycling measures

Regard CO2 as a resource e. g. for vegetation instead of capturing and storing

Possible chances and benefits

Less contamination of the environment coming from potentially toxic ingredients of construction materials in combination with inappropriate waste management or recycling

Valuable materials recovered

Positive health effects for people in optimized buildings

Positive environmental effects due to optimized construction products

Added value

Optimization of recycling and reuse of materials may lead to positive cost effects

Sorted metals can be sold

Achievement of LEED points possible subsequent to certification

Cost reduction by including renewable energy

Frame conditions to be taken into account

Existing waste management and recycling structures in construction and demolition

Motivation of construction companies not yet focused on C2C

3.4 Prototype: Production

Branches

C2C applicable for several branches

Biggest potential for C2C

Many examples of C2C projects and certifications

For all branches (points partly repeated in following production-prototypes):

Possible Issues

No detailed knowledge about ingredients of their products

Possibly unknown problematic ingredients

Products entering the biosphere (e.g. waste water) not designed for this scenario, still e. g. aqua toxic or not biodegradable

Product safety affected

Not yet prepared on request of customers for “sustainable” or “healthy” products

Conditions of production may become a public issue (like in Germany)

C2C Potential

Deeper knowledge about their products

Opportunity to achieve higher product quality

Higher product safety

Encouragement of supply chain for more transparency

Opportunity for Certification C2C Certified TM and therefore market differentiation

Awareness in company for possible simplification of recipes

Products for Technical Cycle: Opportunity to get back materials “for free”

More focus on renewable energy

Possible chances and benefits

Less vulnerable against attacks from test institutes or NGOs

Higher sales due to higher product quality

Differentiation in the market by better products

Creation of communication measures within the supply chain and/or for the public

Added value

Specific for branches

Frame conditions to be taken into account

Still little awareness in public about concept of comprehensive quality

Supply chain not yet used to disclosing confidential information to a know-how-trustee (EPEA)

Chemical industry or importers focusing on requirements of European regulations of REACH and therefore not yet open to C2C

Financial effects not predictable

3.4.1 Textiles and Shoes

Fashion apparel

Synthetic-, natural textiles (incl. leather products)

Work wear

Hospitals, construction sector, etc.

Home textiles

Upholstery, hangings, towels, etc. (incl. leather products)

Accessories

Buttons, Zippers, Labels, etc.

Shoes

Fashion and Casual

Carpets and Flooring

Possible Issues

Most of the chemicals are problematic with respect to specific scenarios (e.g. skin contact, inhalation, environmental fate, recycling and reuse, etc.)

Sensitizing ingredients widely used in textile and shoe production are not designed for skin contact.

Lots of problematic process chemicals are released uncontrolled into the waste water during production

Most of the dyes and other textile additives used for production are not known by the textile producer

Double standards: Textile production is in most of the cases abroad (e.g. Asia, South America, Africa) and mostly under very low social and environmental conditions.

Standards of dye production in Asia

Standards of leather production in Asia

C2C Potential

Enhance product quality according to a comprehensive quality term

Identifying and looking for C2C alternatives with respect to the sensitizing properties

Basically design for biological and/or technical cycles possible

For work wear:

Existing renting system usable as logistics for take back

Source for textile fibers to be used in other industries

Creating transparency along textile production - processing, assembly, usage and after usage for new cycles of new quality products.

Possible chances and benefits

Improved presence in the market due to introduction of new quality criteria

Frontrunner because occupying the field of expected demand of customers who will ask for origin, usage and next cycle of clothing and shoes

Frame conditions to be taken into account

The new quality approach based on C2C to be explained, discussed, improved and published

Textile production shall take place under comparable and safe environmental and socio-economic conditions worldwide.

Advantage for the consumer: Textile and shoe production in consideration of joy, health and high quality

3.4.2 Furniture

Office furniture

Other furniture

Indoor:

Wood

Metals

Plastics

Multiple constituents, complex products

Outdoor:

Wood

Metals

Plastics

Multiple constituents, complex products

Possible Issues

No detailed knowledge about ingredients of their products

Coatings

Glues

Wood origin and production

Metal production conditions

Metal alloys specification (toxic heavy metals?)

Plastics additives esp. in indoor use (e.g. skin contact)

Off gassing of volatile chemicals

from coatings

from additives

impurities from supply chain

Indoor air quality affected

Formaldehyde release

Not designed for recycling

Recycling system existing?

C2C Potential

Knowledge about potential toxic ingredients of products

Improving indoor air quality

Encouragement of supply chain for more transparency

Possible chances and benefits, added value

Positive health effects due to improved indoor air quality

Enhancement of awareness of high quality furniture in the public

Marketing of better health quality potential for higher sales

Supply chain not yet used to disclosing confidential information to a know-how-trustee (EPEA)

Frame conditions to be taken into account

Supply chain not yet used to disclosing confidential information to a know-how-trustee (EPEA)

Awareness of the C2C issues not yet developed in public

3.4.3 Health Care

Cosmetics

Baby care

Possible Issues

Generally not made for entering the biosphere

No detailed knowledge about ingredients of their products

High exposure due to skin contact

Possibly sensitization potential

Health effects of problematic ingredients

C2C Potential

Deeper knowledge about their products

Higher product safety

Possible chances and benefits

Less vulnerability against awakening public awareness for “healthy” products

Possible simplification of recipes

Added value

Positive effects on production costs due to optimized and simplified recipes

Advantage and market differentiation by offering optimized “healthy” products

Frame conditions to be taken into account

Supply chain not yet used to disclosing confidential information to a know-how-trustee (EPEA)

Potential for higher awareness in the public regarding typical home products

3.4.4 Home Care

Cleaning agents and detergents

Laundry products

Washroom supplies

Possible Issues

Generally not made for entering the biosphere

No detailed knowledge about ingredients of their products

Skin contact probable

C2C Potential

Deeper knowledge about products

Opportunity to achieve higher product quality

Encouragement of supply chain for more transparency

Encouragement of supply chain for more transparency

Improvement of waste water

Possible chances and benefits

Higher quality of a high-exposure-product used at home

Less health effects on skin of users due to optimized, less problematic products

Simplification of recipes

Added value

Positive effects on production costs due to optimized and simplified recipes

Higher sales due to less health effects of optimized, less problematic products

Frame conditions to be taken into account

Supply chain not yet used to disclosing confidential information to a know-how-trustee (EPEA)

Potential higher awareness in the public regarding typical home products

3.4.5 Materials Basic for Designers

Plastics

Polymers

Textiles (see there)

Wood

Paper

Composite materials

Packaging

Possible Issues

Designers focusing more in the shape and design of products than in ingredients

Modification of thinking required regarding reutilization potential of designed products

Composites included in design considerations, not designed for recycling

C2C Potential

Creation of attractive products with C2C properties included

Every day products connected to C2C principles

Enhancement of awareness of designers regarding material properties (toxicological, reutilization)

New way of thinking implemented also in producers of complex products like household appliances

Possible chances and benefits

Higher sales due to higher product quality

Chance for dissemination of C2C into the public

Added value

New quality aspects included in products

Support of cycles of valuable materials

Frame conditions to be taken into account

In design field C2C not yet established

3.4.6 Packaging

Packaging with metals (Steel cans, Aluminum cans) Metal (cans, bottles)

Flexible paper packs, modules-pulp packs, Carton board packs, corrugated fiberboard

Packaging with plastics

Packaging with glass

Printing, labeling

Bioplastics

Possible Issues

Migration of substances (e.g. of volatile substances, antimony, BPA, etc.)

Migration takes place even from labels into the packed food

Problematic substances in the packaging (e.g. PVC or problematic additives)

Problematic substances arising from a recycling process (e.g. detection of residues of mineral oil in recycled paper)

C2C Potential

Improvement of environmental, health and recycling aspects by applying C2C-principles

Deeper knowledge about packaging

Opportunity to achieve higher product quality

Higher product safety

Encouragement of supply chain for more transparency

Development of strategic collaboration between packaging stakeholders for know-how exchange

Defined input in recycling systems

Possible chances and benefits

Less vulnerable against attacks from test institutes or NGOs

Higher sales due to higher product quality

Differentiation in the market by excluding problematic ingredients of packaging used in every household

Energy savings and improvement of CO2 balance possible by implementation of a nationwide packaging recycling system

Added value

Reduction of waste management costs

Higher value of sorted positively defined fractions of plastics and metals

Enhanced branding and marketing value

Avoidance of regulatory costs (water discharge, energy use etc.);

3.4.7 Paper

Office paper; Printed paper

Tissue paper

Possible Issues

Problematic substances arising from the recycling process (e.g. detection of residues of mineral oil in recycled paper)

Paper sludge not made for returning back safely into biological systems (soil, air, water)

Process chemicals in paper production not suitable for biological cycle

Health protection in paper production, exposure of problematic chemicals

High water use

C2C Potential

Optimization of inks, coatings, glues, etc.

Optimization of process chemicals in paper production

Optimization of material flows in view of C2C (e.g. differentiation of input- and output streams)

Long term goal: printing chemicals to be used I printing companies defined so that the recycling paper company receives a defined input

Possible chances and benefits

Establish recycled paper as a suitable resource also for higher quality applications of paper

No transfer of problematic substances from paper production or recycling into every day products

Added value

Getting more money for sorted, positively defined, fractions

Higher branding and marketing value

Avoidance of regulatory costs (water discharge, energy use etc.);

3.4.8 Machine construction (complex products)

Engines

Machines

Appliances

Gadgets

Possible Issues

Valuable materials incl. electronics hidden in machines

No take back system existing

Machines become waste after use

C2C Potential

Machines designed for disassembly in view of later take-back

Introduce service concepts (machine leasing for defined use periods)

Potential for complete definition limited due to high complexity, but implementation of C2C relevant elements possible in order to enhance quality

Establish recycling potential also for rare high-value metals

Possible chances and benefits

Getting defined, possibly high-quality materials back

Use of higher quality materials for production because these are coming back after use

In certain branches logistics is already existing (e.g. by active sales representatives) but products not yet designed for take back

Added value

Better market position due to better service and take back of machines after use

Getting defined materials back “for free”

Reduction of waste management costs

Frame conditions to be taken into account

Metal prices expected to increase in a long run

Logistics to be developed

Still little awareness in public about the concept of comprehensive quality

Customers and suppliers not yet familiar with service concepts according to C2C

3.4.9 Metals

Copper and copper products

Zinc and zinc products

Aluminum and Al products

Steel and steel products

Possible Issues

Mining (environmental and social issues)

Ore processing (emissions in air, water, soil; social issues)

Contamination of metals during recycling by contaminated, undefined or little defined recycling input

Toxic metals in alloys

Toxic or rare metals in coatings

C2C Potential

Introduce service concepts (for certain metals and defined use-scenarios)

Better separation of metals during recycling of metal containing products

If several metal qualities are used for the same purpose in one product: Review resp. redesign of products

Creating new models of cooperation by service concepts according to C2C

Development of pigments and dyes suitable for biological or technical cycles

No dissipation of toxic and rare metals into the environment

Possible chances and benefits

Improved material cycles of metals

Maintain high quality of metals by definition of recycled input

Added value

Maintain high value of metals if not contaminated

Frame conditions to be taken into account

Metal industry highly optimized according to efficiency criteria

Different environmental standards for metal producers in certain countries

Chemical industry or importers focusing on requirements of European regulations of REACH and therefore not yet open to C2C

3.5 Prototype: Trade

Branches

Wholesale

Retailer

Online retailer

Textiles

Tools (metals, for handcraft and industry)

Possible Issues

Quality of product ingredients not known due to lack of transparency in the supply chain

C2C Potential

Opportunity for influence by trading and retailing companies on their supply chain

Preference Lists as guideline for suppliers