Cradle to grave refers to the life cycle of a product, from manufacture (cradle) to disposal (grave). However, in their 2002 book Cradle to Cradle, authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart proposed that industries rethink the way that they manufacture goods, and that consumers reconsider how they decide to purchase a product or good. Instead of a "cradle-to-grave" world view, where products are ultimately thrown away and die in a landfill, the authors asked readers to consider instead a "cradle-to-cradle" world view, where products can be upcycled or biodegraded when someone is done using them. For more about this fascinating book, go here.

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