Which principle is closely related to sustainable design and minimizing waste?

The cradle to cradle principle is closely related to sustainable design and minimizing waste because it promotes a circular approach to production and consumption. This principle advocates for the design of products with their entire lifecycle in mind, ensuring that materials can be reused, recycled, or safely returned to the environment. The focus is on creating systems that emulate natural processes, where waste is seen as a resource, ultimately minimizing the impact on the environment.

This approach encourages designers and manufacturers to consider not just the efficiency of resource use during production but also the end-of-life treatments for products. By prioritizing materials that can be perpetually recycled or safely decomposed, the cradle to cradle principle directly aligns with the goals of sustainable design, as it seeks to eliminate the concept of waste altogether.