Ellice: Waste is a Failure of Design

"Cradle to Grave" means from the time something is made to the time it is disposed of. This is the point where we generally start trying to solve the problem; nuclear waste, garbage, landfills, exhaust fumes, and so on.
"Cradle to Cradle" design starts much earlier and imitates a process parallel to plant growth and composting: the vegetation that we do not eat breaks down and fertilizes the next round of growth.

Cradle to Cradle Design is a system of thinking based on the belief that human design can approach the effectiveness and elegance of natural systems. By learning from nature and incorporating its patterns into our own lifestyles we can all contribute to reducing waste. We can create a safe, regenerative productivity of nature that eventually eliminates the concept of waste.
Products are environmental poisons themselves in every stage of their life cycle: from manufacture to product shelf and disposal. The proposition is for eco-efficiency, where products are created with the foresight of how they will disintegrate in the environment.
One particular aspect of this ‘rethinking’ in the Cradle to cradle design principle, starts with the basis that waste product is a failure of design. Imitating our natural, cyclical processes is now one of the most critical aspects to a successful design.

http://www.larynandjanel.com/blog/waste_is_a_failure_of_design.html