A World of Abundance

William McDonough and Michael Braungart
Additional contact information
William McDonough: School of Architecture, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
Michael Braungart: University of Applied Sciences of Northeast Lower Saxony, Herbert-Meyer Strasse 7, 29556 Suderberg, Germany

Interfaces, 2000, vol. 30, issue 3, 55-65

Abstract: Industry and the environment appear to be at odds because current methods of production, extraction, and disposal are destructive to the natural world. Conventional responses, such as eco-efficiency, focus on doing more with less, restricting industry, and curtailing growth. We view the conflict between industry and the environment as a design problem. Instead of simply reducing industry's negative effects, we suggest companies redesign products and processes for healthy, long-term prosperity. We present a new paradigm for industry, eco-effectiveness; three new design principles: waste equals food, use current solar income, and respect diversity; new decision criteria that integrate ecology, economy, and equity; and beginning steps businesses can take towards a world of abundance, rather than one of limits and constraints.

Keywords: ENVIRONMENT; PLANNING—CORPORATE (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2000
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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