Kraaijvanger

Exactly ten years ago the odd sustainability principles of cradle-to-cradle (C2C) landed in Venlo. Four years earlier, the book Cradle to Cradle was published: Remaking the Way We Make Things by the German chemist Michael Braungart and the American architect William McDonough. Braungart (1958) had been involved in the development of the C2C philosophy for years. In a documentary by Belgian television channel Canvas he recounts 1986 as the birth year of cradle-to-cradle. Braungart was then still a Greenpeace activist. A protest against a Swiss chemical group then led to the common understanding that innovation could result in new, harmless products and services. New industrial revolution Now, thirty years later, in a telephone interview, Braungart notes with satisfaction that in recent years the new industrial revolution is starting to take off. The German helps Hamburg companies to design their products in such a way that they can be used safely and again from the beginning to the end and still deliver profit. In this way he is building a world without waste, in which the old principle 'from cradle to grave' changes into 'from cradle to cradle', or cradle-to-cradle. The aim of cradle-to-cradle is: healthy and sustainable products and buildings. Venlo was the first city in the world to embrace the C2C principles at regional level. Together with the C2C Expolab, education and business, Venlo is building this leading position. Venlo is now the undisputed C2C hotspot in Europe in Braungart's eyes. Why Venlo or all places? "A combination of factors. To begin with: the identity of Limburg. Because of its central location in Europe, Limburg is open minded and open to new developments. In addition, the Netherlands and also Limburg always had to fight against flooding. Nature is not romanticized here like in Germany. In the Netherlands, nature is seen not so much as a mother, but as a partner that you have to live with and learn from. "

In Venlo, according to Braungart, there were still a few individual factors, such as the establishment of the municipal administration and that of some key figures at the Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, the city was looking for opportunities to attract young or innovative people to the region or to keep them here. In addition, the Venlo Region had the Floriade of 2012 as a dot on the horizon. Braungart: "All in all, this was an ideal breeding ground for cradle-to-cradle." In the meantime, a lot of activities have been launched in Venlo that are allowed to carry the predicate cradle-to-cradle, come close to it or contribute to the development of the C2C climate. For example, there is the already mentioned C2C ExpoLAB, an international knowledge center for C2C design and applications. Another example is primary school De Zuidstroom that is based on the C2C philosophy. Another example: sports complex Egerbos in Blerick that provides its own energy and is made of C2C building materials. The most recent, largest and most striking project is the construction of the city office that is prominently situated on the Maas. This building generates its own energy, purifies air and waste water and has a pleasant indoor climate. When the building needs to be replaced, 80 percent of the material can be reused: hardly any demolition waste. The striking city office was designed by Hans Goverde of the Rotterdam architects Kraaijvanger. Before Goverde and 'concolleagues' were able to bring out the drawing pencil, they were given a C2C workshop. The architects were told by Braungart that their material knowledge should be up to date before they can design a building based on cradle-to-cradle. Encouraging reuse starts with the knowledge about the content of the product or building. What is in it and what can we do with it later? Braungart: "That means a sort of passport of the building in which you record all the information about the materials used. If you consider that in conventional concrete there are approximately three hundred additives, of which two hundred are bad for health, then you have to look for a healthier type of concrete, otherwise you can not re-use the concrete. Thinking in advance what you can do decades later with the material you choose now, requires a different way of thinking than designers are accustomed to. "

The architect who hired Venlo to sign the municipal office, succeeded very well in this, says Braungart. "The building is basically a resource bank, it purifies air and waste water, it generates energy and closes water cycles. And the officials will experience that it is also very pleasant work. I assume that absenteeism is now much lower. It is not for nothing that the office is a classic example of cradle-to-cradle. And not unimportant: the iconic building is also a fantastic eye-catcher in that strategic location in the city. I am very proud that I stood at the cradle of it. " Head position At the end of 2013 Venlo received the C2C front runner award in New York; Nevertheless, Venlo does not quite live up to its C2C ambition as far as Braungart is concerned. According to him Venlo has to pull harder to keep his leading position. A question of an inhibiting advantage? "No, I have the impression that Venlo is not yet fully using its potential. For example, the region has not fully exploited the opportunities of the Floriade as a platform for cradle-to-cradle. And the European office of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has moved to Amsterdam. Very unfortunate. "This is also the opinion of Michel Weijers, managing director of the C2C ExpoLAB and project manager for the construction of the city office:" It was certainly more beautiful if Venlo were to be on the stationery instead of Amsterdam, but two out of three employees live far outside our region. Especially for this reason they have canceled the rent in the Innovatoren. That is separate from the C2C climate. "Whatever the case, according to Braungart, it is not too late for Venlo to further expand its international position as a cradle-to-cradle capital. "But then Venlo must now join hands with the border region. Cities like Krefeld and Mönchengladbach want to collaborate with Venlo. I would like to say: grab your chance.