For our last podcast we had the purpose of talking about circular design and do it from a very pleasant perspective, which would give light to all companies that must face the long road of business transformation towards circularity. For this, we invited Cristina Sendra, technical director of Eco Intelligent Growth, a company with more than 20 years of experience in Cradle to Cradle, a luxury guest with a lot of knowledge to transmit after so many years working in this type of projects.
We know that 80% of the impacts that a product will have in the future are determined in the design phase. This makes us primarily responsible for this transformation and that is why at Lúcid we incorporate circular design as a cross-cutting pillar in our projects.
A lot of interesting things came out of this conversation with Cristina, summarised in the following highlights, so that whoever wants to, can take some knowledge back to their own territory 😉.
Cristina explains in the podcast what Cradle to Cradle is, a methodology she considers herself passionate about and which, she explains, has always governed her projects. She defines Cradle to Cradle as a design framework that enables projects to have a positive impact. She sees it as a very open framework, which makes it possible to rethink things in order to generate a positive impact.
The transformation of a business model from linear to circular is a long road that must be faced and executed in a very orderly manner. EIG are experts in accompanying these complex processes. Marc asked Cristina how to tackle this type of project.
Cristina talks about a first step in which companies must get rid of their taboos to define a new intergenerational vision without fear: "We have to know exactly where we are starting from, what the real dangers of the product are, in order to be aware of how companies can adapt to change".
Cristina stresses that "the more honest we are in this phase, the more real and positive the business transformation will be".
Cristina explains that all sectors have their challenges. She speaks of construction as a sector with a lot of homework to do, but she also mentions the textile industry, consumer electronics, etc.
Marc and Cristina are clear: all sectors have great challenges, but at the same time, great opportunities, in terms of circularity.
The important thing is to accompany companies on this journey so that they can do their homework properly and bring about real change.
We know that business transformation projects are very complex and range from the definition of a strategic and visionary foundation to the execution of an action plan that addresses multiple legs of the business, through sourcing, product design, manufacturing, etc.
This complexity can only be addressed by generating alliances and synergies that allow companies to move faster.
As Cristina acknowledges, "we don't all know everything. It is essential to collaborate in order to combine different areas of expertise, to create alliances that allow us to tackle projects more efficiently".
He gives us the examples of EIG and Lúcid: two companies that complement each other in their specialities and their vision of circularity and that can offer a joint and complete service to clients.
One of the star topics when talking about sustainability is greenwashing. Cristina defines the concept as absurd because, in her experience, "there is so much work to be done that it is easier to make small, real changes than to communicate lies".
One of the main reflections of this conversation revolved around the responsibility of companies for their products.
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about relocation and it is directly linked to the sustainability of projects. Cristina and Marc give us a different perspective on this phenomenon.
They agree that it is legitimate to manufacture in other countries. What is crucial to ensure ethical and sustainable production is control and commitment to these processes. Giving work to countries in need is fine, as long as we ensure that resources are extracted in a sustainable way and that employees work under ethical and safe conditions.
Another major responsibility of companies is to control the life cycle of their products. "Knowing why users dispose of products allows companies to think of alternatives to extend their useful life", says Cristina
"Take care of the products you put on the market", because only by being 100% responsible you can design, produce and reuse/recycle them in a sustainable way.
So much for our short summary of highlights from our latest podcast. This is just an excerpt of a long and inspiring conversation between two people passionate about circular design and business transformation for the circular economy.
If you still lack reasons to start walking towards change, we give you all of them in this article we wrote some time ago. And if you want to be infected by Cristina and Marc's vision, so unique and necessary, we encourage you to listen to the full podcast 😊
