The Experts below are selected from a list of 136242438 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

Susan Klosterhaus - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Response to ‘Are Cradle to Cradle certified products environmentally preferable? Analysis from an LCA approach’
    Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016
    Co-Authors: Matteo F. Kausch, Susan Klosterhaus
    Abstract:

    Abstract This letter is written by the managers of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program in response to the article entitled ‘Are Cradle to Cradle certified products environmentally preferable? Analysis from an LCA approach’, published in the April 2015 issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production (Llorach-Massana et al., 2015). As shown herein, Llorach-Massana and co-workers base their analysis on false assumptions about the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard and certification program and their chosen methodology fails to address the central research question. The authors of this letter maintain that these errors in assumptions and approach invalidate the paper and its conclusions.

Jordi Oliver-solà - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Are Cradle to Cradle certified products environmentally preferable? Analysis from an LCA approach
    Journal of Cleaner Production, 2015
    Co-Authors: Pere Llorach-massana, Ramon Farreny, Jordi Oliver-solà
    Abstract:

    Abstract The Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification has gained popularity amongst companies as a way to distinguish more environmentally friendly products. This article analyzes the C2C certification by determining how successful this eco-labeling scheme is in distinguishing environmentally preferable products in order to probe if the certification informs correctly to the consumer about the environmental performance of products. Furthermore, we identify for which product types the C2C certification really results in environmental impact reduction. First a review is done in order to detect the debilities, if any, of C2C. Secondly, the fact that C2C requirements do not tackle environmental aspects of products from a life cycle approach, and concentrates exclusively on raw materials and end of life phases, is further analyzed in depth. To do so, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) already published results for different product categories are used to determine if the life-cycle stages considered under the C2C approach coincide with the most relevant stages in terms of life-cycle environmental impacts. This helps ascertain if and when C2C can be considered an appropriate ecolabel. It is concluded that for products with high-energy consumption during use, C2C does not guarantee relevant environmental improvements, since it does not account for a substantial part of the product's environmental impact. For these reasons, we argue that C2C is not always an appropriate scheme to distinguish environmentally preferable products.

James Ewell - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Design for the Next Generation: Incorporating Cradle‐to‐Cradle Design into Herman Miller Products
    Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2008
    Co-Authors: Mark Rossi, Scott Charon, Gabe Wing, James Ewell
    Abstract:

    Summary In the late 1990s, office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, Inc., entered into a collaboration with architect William McDonough to create a system for designing Cradle-to-Cradle products. This collaboration led to the creation of a tool—the Design for Environment (DfE) product assessment tool—that evaluates progress towards Cradle-to-Cradle products. The first product Herman Miller designed using the DfE product assessment tool was the Mirra chair. Over the course of the chair's development, the DfE process generated a number of design changes, including selecting a completely different material for the chair's spine, increasing recycled content in chair components, eliminating all PVC (polyvinyl chloride) components, and designing the chair for rapid disassembly using common tools. The areas of greatest success in designing the Mirra chair for the environment were the increased use of recyclable parts and increased ease of disassembly, whereas the areas of greatest challenge were increasing recycled content and using materials with a green chemistry composition. The success in recyclability reflects the use of metals, materials that have a well-established recycling infrastructure. The success in disassembly reflects the high degree of control that Herman Miller has over product assembly. The challenge to increasing recycled content is the use of plastics in chairs. Unlike the metals, which all contain some recycled content, most plastics are made from virgin polymers. The challenge to improving materials chemistry is the limited range of green chemicals and materials on the market. The Mirra chair exemplifies the value of incorporating the environment into design and the need for tools to benchmark progress, as well as the challenges of creating a truly Cradle-to-Cradle product. Herman Miller recognizes that working toward Cradle-to-Cradle products is a journey that will involve continuous improvement of its products.

Matteo F. Kausch - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Response to ‘Are Cradle to Cradle certified products environmentally preferable? Analysis from an LCA approach’
    Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016
    Co-Authors: Matteo F. Kausch, Susan Klosterhaus
    Abstract:

    Abstract This letter is written by the managers of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program in response to the article entitled ‘Are Cradle to Cradle certified products environmentally preferable? Analysis from an LCA approach’, published in the April 2015 issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production (Llorach-Massana et al., 2015). As shown herein, Llorach-Massana and co-workers base their analysis on false assumptions about the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard and certification program and their chosen methodology fails to address the central research question. The authors of this letter maintain that these errors in assumptions and approach invalidate the paper and its conclusions.

Pere Llorach-massana - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Are Cradle to Cradle certified products environmentally preferable? Analysis from an LCA approach
    Journal of Cleaner Production, 2015
    Co-Authors: Pere Llorach-massana, Ramon Farreny, Jordi Oliver-solà
    Abstract:

    Abstract The Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification has gained popularity amongst companies as a way to distinguish more environmentally friendly products. This article analyzes the C2C certification by determining how successful this eco-labeling scheme is in distinguishing environmentally preferable products in order to probe if the certification informs correctly to the consumer about the environmental performance of products. Furthermore, we identify for which product types the C2C certification really results in environmental impact reduction. First a review is done in order to detect the debilities, if any, of C2C. Secondly, the fact that C2C requirements do not tackle environmental aspects of products from a life cycle approach, and concentrates exclusively on raw materials and end of life phases, is further analyzed in depth. To do so, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) already published results for different product categories are used to determine if the life-cycle stages considered under the C2C approach coincide with the most relevant stages in terms of life-cycle environmental impacts. This helps ascertain if and when C2C can be considered an appropriate ecolabel. It is concluded that for products with high-energy consumption during use, C2C does not guarantee relevant environmental improvements, since it does not account for a substantial part of the product's environmental impact. For these reasons, we argue that C2C is not always an appropriate scheme to distinguish environmentally preferable products.