In the Netherlands

Interest in Cradle to Cradle is growing daily in the Netherlands, partly inspired by the TV programmes on Braungart and McDonough’s work (broadcast on VPRO’s Tegenlicht series), and partly because many ‘cultural creatives’ have been inspired by the original American edition of the book Cradle to Cradle.

Greenport Venlo

Venlo is the first region in the world that wants to fully implement the Cradle to Cradle principles. Braungart and McDonough are closely involved in the initiative. Greenport Venlo has a market of 30 million people. Business and local government are keen to align themselves with sustainable development. The administrators of the province of Limburg, of the Venlo region Chamber of Commerce and of Floriade 2012 (the World Horticulture Fair) envisage good opportunities for building an economically strong and sustainable region. A region in which agriculture and industry work according to the Cradle to Cradle principle, where urban renewal in Maastricht takes place on the same principle and where residents can depend on their living and working environment being clean, sustainable and inspiring. The film director Steven Spielberg, who has been an admirer of Braungart and McDonough’s Cradle to Cradle philosophy for years, has announced that he will be making a documentary in which Venlo will also feature.

Prospects for Limburg

Limburg has high expectations of Braungart and McDonough. Michael Braungart is to be offered his own Cradle to Cradle chair by the province in the near future. Maastricht, too, is hooking up to Cradle to Cradle developments. The city has invited William McDonough to supervise the tunnelling of the A2 motorway under the city, the urban renewal of a disadvantaged district and the development of a former factory site in the inner city.

Cradle to Cradle and Search

Making better, more conscious choices is the first step towards Cradle to Cradle. And these conscious choices were therefore the first step that Anne-Marie Rakhorst took with her firm, Search, an engineering and consultancy agency that operates globally. However, the firm aims to achieve more; it is keen to pass on its knowledge of and enthusiasm about Cradle to Cradle to its clients. Furthermore, it intends to expand its range of services by rendering Cradle to Cradle construction and demolition practicable. Search provides training courses in this field, while also giving lectures on the subject, with a view to attracting as many entrepreneurs, politicians, cultural creatives, builders and citizens as possible to Cradle to Cradle.

Cradle to Cradle and DSM

In its report Vision 2010: Building on Strength, DSM identifies two important pillars that are directly linked to Cradle to Cradle: innovation and sustainability. Based on its two main clusters of activities – life sciences and material sciences – Cradle to Cradle provides a synergy that can strengthen both clusters. For example, DSM gave advice on the technology for making maize panels. Students at the Academy of Visual Arts in Maastricht took that material and developed a design line of biodegradable furniture from it.

Cradle to Cradle and Océ

Océ NV is a well-known, international printing and document management company. The company’s Sustainability Report mentions that Cradle to Cradle complements Océ’s production methods very well. Its Cradle to Cradle approach is already reaping concrete results in the remanufacturing and reuse of materials. Printing and document management equipment returned to Océ is a source of many raw materials for new products.

Cradle to Cradle and Herman Miller

HM Ergonomics, the importer of Herman Miller office furniture for the Dutch and German market, is also actively involved with Cradle to Cradle. Seven years ago, under the guidance of Braungart, the US manufacturer Herman Miller started developing a protocol with which all future products must comply. In conjunction with EPEA Herman Miller designed the Mirra chair and shortly after that the Leaf Light, a LED lamp based on Cradle to Cradle principles. Herman Miller publishes a report every year on the company’s progress towards ‘Point Zero’ – 2020 for them – because openness, integrity and transparent cooperation are vital components of the Cradle to Cradle concept.

IUCN

In the Netherlands, Michael Braungart maintains close relations with environmental organisations, such as the Dutch office of IUCN: the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Members of this nature conservation organisation include countries and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). IUCN has a large international network of more than 10,000 scientists, who are involved voluntarily in maintaining and repairing biodiversity, managing natural resources, environmental technology, policy, the law and providing information. One of IUCN-NL’s important information and advisory tasks is to bring the impact of the Dutch economy on foreign eco systems to the attention of the government and Dutch business.

Dutch Cradle to Cradle initiatives

Stichting Onderneem Duurzaam (foundation for sustainable business) highlights the current Cradle to Cradle initiatives. The Cradle to Cradle innovation pool started in September 2007 in conjunction with various NGOs, government and business. Inventors, designers and entrepreneurs who want to contribute can register with Stichting Onderneem Duurzaam. A symposium will be held at the end of 2007 to explain the initiatives and outline the current state of affairs. A condition for participating in this pool is the Open Source approach. Developments must be for the good of society at large.