thinkstep and EPEA join forces to enable Cradle to Cradle® innovation
The footprint mankind has on our planet is simply not sustainable. We are using too many of the limited natural resources and often not in an intelligent way. As the Ellen MacArthur Foundation says, we need to go “beyond the current take-make-dispose industrial extraction model” and design a circular economy that aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits.
A true circular economy will lead to new business models and companies taking responsibility – from the very beginning of product design throughout their lifespan including end-of-use and recycling.
With its solutions for material compliance management and lifecycle assessment (LCA), thinkstep supports organisations towards better product design for more resource efficiency. EPEA is the cradle of Cradle to Cradle®, a design and innovation concept based on the safe and potentially infinite use of materials in nutrient cycles.
In joining forces, EPEA and thinkstep will scale the Cradle to Cradle design concept using software solutions and combine it with quantitative assessments to maximize product and service innovation, incorporating circularity, resource efficiency as well as resource effectivity and future-proof material compliance.
"Together we can support companies in a much better way than before from focusing on doing less bad to doing more good, by leveraging the power of digitalization. By productizing the C2C concept and embedding it in industry software from thinkstep, Cradle to Cradle® will become a day to day reality for product designers, engineers and managers around the world." Prof. Michael Braungart, CEO EPEA GmbH and co-inventor of the Cradle to Cradle® approach.
"By combining and advancing C2C as a material design concept with LCA for impact assessment, we are in a unique position to offer our clients the best of both worlds." Jan Poulsen, CEO thinkstep.
Please visit the EPEA website for more information on Cradle to Cradle.
About thinkstep:
thinkstep is a leading provider of software, data and consulting services for product and corporate sustainability. thinkstep enables organizations worldwide to succeed sustainably. Our industry-leading software solutions, data and services help businesses drive operational excellence, product innovation, brand value and regulatory compliance. With a global presence in 19 countries, we serve more than 4,000 companies, including 40 percent of the Fortune 500, such as BASF, Hewlett-Packard, Interface, Siemens, and Unilever.
About EPEA:
EPEA's core competences are product optimization and development as well as material evaluation according to the Cradle to Cradle design concept. As an international scientific research and consulting institute, we develop solutions for companies, institutions and regions regarding the implementation of circular processes for the entire value chain.
For more information about Cradle to Cradle please click here.
