Our use of knowledge, technology, energy and raw materials allows us to create an almost unlimited variety of products. We produce homes, cars, toys, books, furniture and electronic devices to name a few. When we're done with them they usually get hauled to the local landfill, even though most of us know we should be recycling as much as we can. Most products we use are therefore born in a factory and buried in the ground. Thus the term "cradle to grave" can be applied to describe the life cycle of these products.

Cradle to grave is a linear process. Starting when we extract the raw materials, we move down the line, manufacturing them into the things we want. We use the finished product until it is worn out or no longer needed, before finally throwing it away. So here's the big question, where is "away?"

With a growing population, jet travel and instant communications, our world seems to get smaller every day. There is no "away" anymore (there never has been, but now we're realizing it). One person's waste disposal solution is another person's nightmare. So, if there is no longer an "away," where can we put our waste? How do we solve this problem?

Some of the most elegant and viable solutions are found in nature. In this case, eliminating the very concept of waste is the answer. The natural world does not create waste. There is a natural, cyclical flow of nutrients that moves through the food chain. For example, a fallen tree is not "waste" to the trees left standing or the rest of the forest. It serves to reduce erosion, provides shelter and food for small animals and insects, and eventually goes back to the soil from which it grew, providing nourishment for new growth.

Architect and designer William McDonough promotes the concept of eliminating waste through proper design, starting before the "cradle" stage of a product's life cycle. Good design accounts for all phases of a product's life, including the point at which it is no longer useful as it was originally intended. A well-designed product becomes "food" for the next cycle, returning to the industrial "nutrient flow" to be manufactured into an identical or better product. Depending on the type of product, nutrients can be either biological (for example: composting to fertilizer) or industrial (aluminum cans to jet planes).

By eliminating the concept of waste, we transform "cradle to grave" to "cradle to cradle," creating a new paradigm. We drastically reduce our need for raw materials, energy and water. We reduce the amount of pollution generated. We create economic value and reduce cost. "Cradle to Cradle" is the title of an excellent book by McDonough and Michael Braungart. I highly recommend it.

Cradle to cradle thinking is showing up in some industries already. The commercial carpet industry has made significant strides, designing floor covering products that are completely recyclable. Old carpeting now often becomes new carpeting, with equal or superior quality. This newspaper, if handled responsibly by the reader, can become a nutrient for the paper mill that manufactures -- you guessed it -- more newspaper.

It doesn't take much for us to decide to recycle our papers and other items. It may take a bit more effort to think about other products we buy and the impact they will have once we're done with them. But the effort is well worth it. Choose well- designed, long-lasting and recyclable products. Even better, let manufacturers know why it's important to you. Intelligent use of our valuable resources is the heart of green living. The concept of waste is one thing we can afford to throw away.

Steve Rypka is a green living consultant and president of GreenDream Enterprises, specializing in renewable energy, green building, alternative transportation and lifestyle choices for both residential and commercial clients. The company is committed to helping people live lighter on the planet. Steve can be reached via e-mail at steve@greendream.biz or at >www.greendream.bi