OUGD601 - Dissertation Research - Cradle to Cradle

Over summer I have been reading some books on sustainability and the one book that has really interested me was Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. They explain how we have come to put ourselves in this situation as well as suggestions of how to solve it. 

What I found particularly interesting, which I previously didn't know, was that recycling isn't always the best solution especially for paper. They state that the amount of chemicals used to bleach the paper again and make it suitable for re use is actually pumping more toxins into the environment. This completely changes my view of sustainable packaging as I was under the impression that recycling was the way to go for a better future. However they suggest that biodegradable things may be better for the environment in the long run.