Introduction
One of the basic laws of nature is the cyclicity of life. As the need to improve business sustainability increases, many companies adapt this cyclicity to their processes and conditions. Thus, by using the circular economy approach, firms are able not only to reduce their negative impact on the environment but also to leave a positive ecological footprint. The purpose of this paper is to list some companies implementing the cradle-to-cradle framework and discuss their unique solutions.
Discussion
The first business that utilizes the principles of circular economy is Shaw Industries. The firm’s focus is on “material health, product circularity, clean air, and climate protection, water and soil stewardship and social fairness” (Hartline, 2021, para. 2). One of its latest unique solutions is the creation of a new carpet tile collection called Reverse, constructed with EcoSolution Q100 yarn. This system “offers 100 percent post-industrial recycled content allocated from waste minimization and collection efforts” (Hartline, 2021, para. 7). Shaw Industries effectively addresses the cradle-to-cradle tasks and milestones by using materials considered waste in the past, which is an approach many other firms should pay attention to.
The second business integrating the methods of circular economy is Method Products. According to Kopnina (2019), one challenge that cradle-to-cradle companies face is the need to combine sustainable practices with customer needs and demands. Method Products successfully achieves this goal: the firm never trades the functionality or design of its products for eco-friendliness, deciding to focus on all these tasks. In 2017, the company created dryer sheets that became the first to receive cradle-to-cradle certification (MBDC, 2017). The unique formula of this product allows Method Products to be sustainable by reducing waste and also meet the needs of its clients.
Conclusion
To conclude, the methods of the circular economy seem to be quite efficient for many businesses. While it might be challenging to combine customer satisfaction and sustainability objectives or create a product using materials that were considered waste decades ago, many companies efficiently meet these aims. As a consequence, it may be insightful to study their successes and understand better how cradle-to-cradle approaches work and lead to enhanced brand image.
References
Hartline, D. (2021). Shaw Industries introduces its first cradle to cradle certified® gold collection. Cision PR Web. Web.
Kopnina, H. (2019). Green-washing or best case practices? Using circular economy and Cradle to Cradle case studies in business education. Journal of Cleaner Production, 219, 613-621.
McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry [MBDC]. (2017). Method adds new product to cradle to cradle family: First-ever certified dryer sheets. Web.