MuditaMagazineSummer2021DIGITAL

photographed by Viktória Bach

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photographed by Viktória Bach

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Lemon

Native to South Asia
Benefits
• Wonderful source of Vitamin C, flavonoids and other antioxidants
• Vitamin C promotes a healthy complexion
• Boosts the immune system
• Used to aid colds and flu
• May help prevent cancer
• Can aid in weight loss ▪

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The Positive footprint:
How Cradle to Cradle can change
the way we produce, build and
understand our role as
humans on the planet

by Matthias Heilig; artwork by C2C NGO;
photography by Nicole Conrad

We all know about the tremendous ecological crisis we are facing
right now in the world: The rapid progression of man-made global
warming, the excessive pollution of natural habitats and oceans,
deforestation, threatening mass extinction and the loss of soil and
resources. Therefore, we are currently losing the ability to fulfill the
needs of future generations. Sustainable development can be defined
as a way to meet the needs of today without compromising the ability
to fulfill the needs of tomorrow. Accordingly, the majority of our
economy and the way we produce things now “from cradle to grave” is
very contrary to the concept of sustainability. Every year, we overuse
our natural resources after the so called “Earth Overshoot Day”, which
was surpassed last year already on the 22nd of August, even during
the global pandemic while a big part of the global economy was shut
down.
What can we do to escape this depressing dilemma? What is our role
as intelligent beings on this planet? Are we determined to negatively
impact the environment forever or is there a way to re-think and re-
engineer everything once again to create a truly sustainable future?
The Cradle to Cradle-Vision
We live in a world where the concept of “waste” as such does not exist
anymore. Using nature as an example, all materials are kept endlessly

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within closed circles, powered
by renewable energies only.
All used materials serve as
nutrients for new biological or
technical products. We have
overcome the destructive
ways of manufacturing and
building and our limited belief
of being only consumers of
the earth. Being just “less bad”
was not satisfying anymore
and we realized our potential
to be truly beneficial for the
planet and society in manifold
ways. Therefore, we create a
positive impact in the way we
design, produce and build,
wherever possible. Our
buildings use and deliver
renewable energy, increase
biodiversity, capture carbon,
purify water, purify air and are
healthy habitats for humans
and animals - just like trees. A
city consisting of such
buildings is a living and prosperous oasis for humans and nature
- just like a forest. Farming, whether it is in rural or in urban areas,
produces healthy soil and supports a huge variety of animals and
insects. All materials used are well known (positively defined or
whitelisted) and chosen carefully to be healthy. We celebrate diversity
in society and technology while practicing a healthy and supportive
way of living together. This is the world we want to live in!
The Cradle to Cradle-Design Principles
Whenever a product turns into trash at the end of its lifespan, the
product is based on a faulty design concept. Therefore, product
designers need to think ahead for the product lifespan to prevent
materials from ever turning into “useless trash”. All materials have to
be kept within the technological circle (e.g. metals, plastics,
chemicals, glass) or the biological cycle (e.g. cotton, wood,

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biodegradables, paper, leather) and the two circles should never be
mixed up inseparably. Cradle to Cradle (C2C) distinguishes between
products that are being used, like bicycles, TVs, washing machines
and cars, which belong to the technical cycle, and products that are
consumed and/or are subjected to abrasion, like clothing, shoe soles,
brake pads, seat covers, cosmetics, one-way packaging, which needs
to belong to the biological circle. A t-shirt produced with organic
cotton and colored with biodegradable colors (free of heavy metals)
can be recycled or composted easily at the end of its lifespan. Natural
fibers can be reused many times before they can be turned into
nutritions for plants. An aluminum frame used for a bicycle can be
recycled in primary quality after the frame is not usable anymore.
Even better, the frame could be reused again for a new bicycle and
other parts could be replaced. Packaging material for ice-cream could
be biodegradable and may even contain seeds of rare local plants.
Customers who buy such products would be even beneficial to the
environment if the packaging is lost in a forest. Instead of selling
washing machines, companies could rent them out and offer the
service of washing to their customers. In this way, manufacturers can
use the best long-lasting materials available instead of producing low
quality products that may just survive their warranty time (planned
obsolescence). In order to maintain a circular economy, we need to
use 100% renewable energy from solar, wind and thermal energy
sources. Hydrocarbons (plastics) should be used only for necessary
applications, e.g. in medicine
and could be recycled within
the technological cycle, if
they are kept pure.
Architects should think
outside of the box to create
buildings like trees with
positive emissions and
benefits instead of harming
the environment. Buildings
can act as material banks,
where all the used building
materials are well
documented and are being
preserved for future
generations.

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photographed by Mortitz Kindler What can I do to increase my
positive footprint now?
Of course, it is always good to
start with reducing
unnecessary emissions and
consumption whenever
possible and as long we can
compromise with the implied
constraints. Shrinking the
negative footprint is the
common approach of many
eco-philosophies (sufficiency,
consistency and efficiency),
which is a very good starting
point. C2C wants to go
beyond the limited

understanding of just reducing the harmful impacts and open up
to the possibilities to create effective benefits for society and the
environment. There is a growing number of C2C-certified
products and building materials available that we can already
choose today. These companies, even though they might not be
perfect today, have committed themselves to improve constantly
on the following five C2C-criteria: Material Health, Material
Reutilization, Renewable Energy & Carbon Management, Water
Stewardship and Social Fairness. Social Fairness along the whole
supply chain of manufacturing is a prerequisite for true
sustainability, as it can only maintain the balance between
ecology, economy and social equity. As customers we have a
bigger impact on production than we might think by choosing
more sustainable products and demanding more C2C solutions
from companies. As entrepreneurs we can choose to transform
our business and be C2C-inspired, with or without a certification.
Do your best, offset the rest: We can easily offset our residual
carbon emissions caused by our daily lives and travels by
supporting climate protection organizations or tree planting
projects. At home we can use biodegradable soaps, organic
clothing, chairs that can be completely recycled or eat more
plant-based food to shrink our negative footprint. Support

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biodiversity in your garden and in your city by planting various
plants and providing bee hives or insect hotels. Investing your
money in sustainable companies that support a transition to a
carbon free industry (renewable energies, electro mobility, plant-
based food, sustainable infrastructure) has a bigger impact than
you might think. Most people are not conscious about what their
money on the bank-account is used for and many banks still
support the old fashioned fossil industries with their financial
products. The possibilities to create a positive footprint are just
limited by our imagination.
Even more can be done to support a faster transition into a real
circular and sustainable economy: Be active, informed and talk
about C2C with your colleagues and friends and most
importantly with your local politicians. Demand more C2C
solutions from politicians and companies directly – every voice
counts much more than one might think. Politics needs to set the
framework to support good companies that are already part of
the transition to sustainability or plan to develop positive
footprint solutions. Within the population, awareness of the
necessity to act now is growing fast (e.g. the Fridays for Future
movement on climate justice) and this is strongly reflected in
politician’s decisions, who try to stay in power. That’s why the
C2C NGO (Cradle to Cradle non-government organization) was
founded in Germany. We inform and teach about Cradle to
Cradle in schools, universities and markets and create more
awareness about the C2C philosophy and principles. We
influence our politicians to act now for a better and more
sustainable future! Become part of our mission and share the
solutions of tomorrow. ▪

Resources:
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things |
Book from 2002, by Michael Braungard & William McDonough
C2Ccertified.org | Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute – Oakland, CA
C2C-centre.com | Venlo City Hall in Netherlands as a good example of C2C-architecture
Epea.com | C2C-consulting and innovation partner in Hamburg, Germany
C2C.ngo | non-profit organization founded in Germany to spread the awareness about C2C
Overshootday.org | Information about the global (over)use of resources

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Proactive Consumers Support
Businesses that Address Systemic
Inequalities & Business owned by
Underrepresented Individuals

by Angelina “Lina” Godinez and Lisa Geason-Bauer,
Evolution Marketing, LLC; artwork by Tim Mossholder

According to the United Nations Human Rights Offi1ce of the
High Commissioner, “Extreme inequalities are the defining
issue of our time…..Rising inequalities are undercutting
development progress, frustrating poverty eradication, and
producing social, political and economic instability.” Evolution
Marketing is one of many leaders in the Certified B Corporation®
movement of “people that are using business as a force for good,”
presenting businesses with a real opportunity right now to adopt
the framework of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
to address extreme inequalities.

For those not familiar with the 17 SDGs, they are unique in that
they are interconnected and interdependent — meaning that in
order for countries, governments, NGOs, and businesses to
address global human rights and the extreme inequalities that
exist, we also have to address the social, environmental, and
economic imbalances. Underpinning the SDGs are 169 targets
that were created as a blueprint to help stakeholders implement
equitable systems that benefit all humankind. Historically,
systems of inequality have manifested in several forms, acting as
“disproportionate threats to the enjoyment of several human
rights … including the right to equality and non-discrimination,
the right to life, the right to health, right to an adequate standard
of living, and cultural rights” according to United Nations experts
in the 2021 Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge normalcy
worldwide, now is the opportunity for change. Regarded as a
pivotal year, 2020 shook up our normalized structures, exposing
unseen and ignored flaws, and forcing system-level change.

1 Integrating Human Rights into the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Addressing inequalities
and discrimination in the SDGs

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Globally, we faced not only a pandemic but expanded demands for
racial and gender equity as stakeholders renewed the call for
companies to demonstrate transparency and accountability for
their social and environmental impacts.
Existing social and racial inequalities continue to produce
disproportionate social and environmental harms to marginalized
communities. One of the ways systemic racism continues to be
reinforced is through environmental racism, a term that civil rights
leader Benjamin Chavis explained as “the racial discrimination in
environmental policymaking, the enforcement of regulations and
laws, the deliberate targeting of communities of color for toxic waste
facilities, the official sanctioning of the life-threatening presence of
poisons and pollutants in our communities, and the history of
excluding people of color from leadership of the ecology
movements.” These injustices block the progression of both
environmental and social sustainability and pose serious threats to
the right to and quality of life for all. Movements for gender, racial,
and environmental justice have emerged in response.
Stakeholders Pressure Business:
Businesses are feeling pressure from their external stakeholders to
address and solve economic, social, and environmental inequalities.
This is an overwhelming task, but the SDG blueprint offers guidance
and a clear path for businesses to follow. Businesses are facing a
choice: they can join the global movement by operating within the
framework of the SDGs or gamble their profitability and future
success on inaction. We as consumers have the capability to
determine businesses’ success and longevity. We as stakeholders
should be holding businesses accountable for their impacts, and
supporting those who value diversity, equity, and sustainable
standards of operation -- both through brand boosting and the
power of purchases.
Prior to 2020, many companies had made statements about their
need to support diverse suppliers and adopt ethical procurement
practices as part of their commitment to external corporate social
responsibility. With the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter
movement came an increased demand by the “public” - consumers,

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employees, and investors - about these corporation's actual number
of BIPOC suppliers. Initiatives such as The Black Dollar Index were
formed to hold corporations accountable to their Black stakeholders
and address systems of racial inequality.
Provided in this article are concrete, practical resources for
consumers to navigate their purchasing decisions and identify
businesses owned by underrepresented groups to buy from. These
resources are intended to equip consumers to be conscious,
purposeful agents of change by directing support to businesses that
are addressing and combating systems of inequality. Our voice is our
dollar, and we can speak through our sourcing. We source every day,
for all our daily wants and needs, through our goods and services--
so let’s reward strategic, (environmentally and socially) sustainable
businesses and support businesses owned by individuals from
underrepresented groups as our suppliers.
This graphic shares examples of different directories to search for
small businesses owned by individuals from underrepresented
groups.

Conscious consumers can support businesses owned by Black and
Indigenous People of Color, women, and LGBTQ + individuals.
Because of the systems of inequalities under which our institutions
operate, these individuals generally do not have equal opportunity
and access to capital, markets, and sales channels. That is why as
consumers it is crucial that we intentionally direct our support to
these businesses. There are a variety of resources consumers can
utilize to find BIPOC-, women-, and LGBTQIA+- owned businesses in
addition to businesses who are proactive in adopting the SDG layout;
we will highlight several efficient, easy-to-access resources and

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tools consumers can employ when choosing where to source from.
Resources & Tools for Proactive Consumers
A handful of websites, apps, and organizations have taken the
initiative to help consumers filter for BIPOC-, women-, and LGBTQ+-
owned/inclusive businesses. Google, a major search engine, has
added features that allow businesses to identify as Black-owned,
Women-Led, and/or LGBTQ+ friendly in Google Maps and Search
listings to help bring support to these underrepresented businesses.
Third-party certifications serve as verification to businesses’ claims,
actions, and impacts within the social and environmental realms.
The chart on the left displays other resources and directories to
identify these businesses.
Closing:
As a women-owned small business operating in a socially and
environmentally responsible manner, we are choosing to be
proactive with our dollars. We have operated our business for over a
decade with the belief that government and nonprofits cannot solely
be responsible for addressing global social problems and inequalities
--we believe that business should also provide solutions. We are
consciously striving to support other women-, BIPOC-, and LGBTQ+
- owned businesses’ products and services. We have intentionally
aligned our business practices to the SDGs and are actively
educating other business and community leaders about how
they too can be people who are “using business as a force for good in
the world.” Join us in co-creating a more equitable and just world for
all as responsible, strategic consumers. ▪

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Native Roots Design

with Danielle Bell; photography by Danielle Bell

Gardens and green space are usually treated with chemicals to create
unnatural greenery and may even have exotic plants that do not
adhere to the native plant and animal life. This can also have an effect
on local pollinators and birds that count on native plants to survive
throughout the year.
Danielle Bell, owner of Native Roots Design, grew up on a farm north
of Madison, WI. Growing up surrounded by nature cultivated her love
for plants and fostering native flora to better the environment. Her
parents did their own landscaping and encouraged education while
introducing her to flowers from bud to bloom.
She dove into landscaping after college with a passion for bringing
native plants to the community that nurture local pollinators and
birds alike. With worries of pollution and chemicals to maintain the
American Dream perfect green lawn, she pushed that aside to nurture
a healthy green space depending on the client and local plants native
to the area.
With a push from her husband she quit her job and dedicated her time
to her company, Native Roots Design, which seems to have been the
right decision. She found many individuals who have the same
mindset and have been incredibly supportive of her business and
vision.

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Her vision is to have native plants working together to create a
natural fertilizer all while feeding the earth and wildlife, a cohesive
ecosystem.
Your garden can really become a haven not only for yourself but to all
the animals and pollinators that live right outside. Rain Gardens can
be incredibly beneficial to introduce to your space. With wetlands
and native plants established, the nourishment becomes a natural
continuation.
Bell states that landscaping is incredibly powerful to our overall
health and wellness. She personally documented her own space and
over a five year period encountered five different species of bees.
Danielle created a business where not only are you bringing bees,
butterflies, birds and other wildlife into your garden, but you are also
bringing joy and healing to yourself and the land that you reside on.

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Danielle’s favorite plants:
Milkweed: there are many types of milkweed plants for each type of
environment. Monarch butterflies love these!
Blazing Star: a plant with dark purple flowers that monarchs love
during the fall migration.
Grasses: she loves to use grasses! Sometimes grasses make things
more appealing.
Spring Ephemeral: woodland plants that rise in early spring and go
dormant by June. These are important for bees! They are very close
to the ground and easy for bees to access! ▪

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photographed by Emily Porter

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artwork by Nhi Poss



Appendix

Angelina “Lina” Godinez Danielle Crampsie
Evolution Marketing Soundwave Wellness
Asia Babbington soundwavewellness.com
salvagedsanctuary.com IG: @soundwavewellness
IG: @salvaged_sanctuary Danielle Ford
Carson Masterston IG: @bangflashbam
IG: @carsonmasterson Emily Porter Photographs
Cultivate Taste Tea Milwaukee, WI
Sheboygan, WI emilyporterphotograph.com
cultivatetaste.com IG: @emilyporterphotograph
IG: @cultivatetastetea Geoff Bruce
Camille Gladu-Drouin IG: @geoffgooyoungbruce
IG: @camillegladudrouin Grace Marotz
Cindy Poiesz IG: @gmarotz24n
Supernola Hanna Flachs
eatsupernola.com IG: @earthartlab
IG: @eatsupernola Ike Weins
Cradle to Cradle Wynter Woods
c2ccertified.org etsy.com/shop/WynterWoodsCo
IG: @cradletocradle.ngo IG: @ike_wynter
Dalia Selman Joanna Cowart
Rasa Downward Cow
wearerasa.com downwardcow.com
IG: @wearerasa IG: @downward_cow
Danielle Bell Jonathan Borba
Native Roots Design IG: @jonathansborba
nativeroots-designs.com Joe Krubsack
IG: @nativeroots_designs Helivue Productions
helivueproductions.com
IG: @helivue_productions

Kai Ignetas Matthew Bragstad
ChiTreeKai Visual Alchemy Nō Studios
visualalchemy.art Matthias Heilig
chitreesign.de holygreenglobal.com
IG: @ChiTreeArt etoro.com/people/HolyGreenGlobal
Kristel de Groot [email protected]
Your Super Melanie Manuel
yoursuper.com Celesta
IG: @yoursuperfoods Milwaukee, WI
Legato Collective celesta.restaurant
Milwaukee, WI IG: @celestamke
legatocollective.com Molly Sommerhalder
IG: @legatocollective Swan in the Lotus Yoga and Wellness
Lisa Caesar www.slwellness.info
Nō Studios IG: @swan_in_the_lotus
Lisa Geason-Bauer Mortitz Kindler
Evolution Marketing moritzkindler.de
greenmkting.com Nhi Poss
Mariana Love Brookfield, WI
IG: @marianalove7 IG: @nhi.illust
Markie Schmidt Nicole Conrad
Goodland Creative www.conrad-architekten.com
Milwaukee, WI Nō Studios
goodlandcreative.co Milwaukee, WI
IG: @good.land.creative nostudios.com
Mary Mueller IG: @nostudiosmke
IG: @marishkab89
Mathilde le Cam
mathildelecam.com
IG: @mathildelecam

Appendix

Olson House Stephanie Krubsack
Shorewood, WI skparfait.com
olson-house.com IG: @skparfait
IG: @olson_house Tim Mossholder
Patty Stark timmossholder.com
Vytal Health Viktória Bach
Milwaukee, WI behance.net/bachviktoria
Vytalhealth.com IG: @bachviki
IG: @yourvytalhealth
Purevant Living
Milwaukee, WI
purevantliving.com
IG: @purevantliving
Rida Fatima
IG: @reedsart
Rusty Malkemes
Udana Yoga and Wellness
Sara Januszewski
IG: @e.a.r.l.y.20s
Sarah Brooks
Quail Springs
Cuyama Valley, CA
quailsprings.org
IG: @quail_springs

artwork by Mary Mueller





Mudita (SANSKRIT)
taking delight in the happiness of others

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