While current strategies of eco-efficiency seek to reduce and minimize the unintended negative consequences of processes of production and consumption, the concept of eco-effectiveness presents a positive agenda based on maximizing the ability of industry to truly support the natural and human world around it. The successfully interdependent nature of biological systems suggests that achieving a sustainable system of consumption and production is not a matter of reducing the footprint of our activities on this planet, but transforming this footprint into a source of replenishment for those systems that depend on it.

Central to putting this strategy into practice is the concept of Cradle to Cradle Design. Cradle to Cradle Design defines a framework for designing products and industrial processes that turn materials into nutrients by enabling the formation of cyclical material flow metabolisms. Products optimised for the biological metabolism are termed biological nutrients (e.g. plant-based and biodegradable materials), and are intended for safe return to the environment as nutrients for living things. Products optimised for the technical metabolism are termed technical nutrients (e.g. metals and some polymers), and are intended to circulate in closed-loop industrial cycles.

All products can then be divided into three categories: Products of Consumption, Products of Service, and Unmarketable Products. Products of Consumption, such as cleaning chemicals, shampoos, and packaging materials, are made from biological nutrients and designed for safe disposal into the natural environment. Products of Service, such as cars, washing machines, and televisions, are made from technical nutrients and designed to provide a service to users and then get recycled. Unmarketable Products, such as hazardous waste, cannot be consumed or used in an environmentally sound way, and should be discontinued and substituted at the earliest possible time.

The ABC-X List is used to determine whether a product is marketable. The X-List are substances that must be removed from all products since they are known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, and/or disruptive to the endocrine system of humans and animals. The Gray List substances are not ideal but lack viable subsitutes and are necessary for continued manufacture. The Passive Positive List substances are okay to use since they have a neutral impact on the environment. The aim is to use substances from the Active Postive List, which are completely compatible with human and environmental health, and are selected for their "good" and useful qualities.

Once products have been eco-effectively optimized and fit the Cradle to Cradle framework, the Triple Top Line can be met. The Triple Top Line takes the concept of the Triple Bottom Line but reorients the view from minimizing harm to maximizing benefit. This new design perspective creates triple top line growth: products that enhance the well being of nature and culture while generating economic value. Design for the triple top line follows the laws of nature to give industry the tools to develop systems that safely generate industry forever. Value and quality are embodied in products, processes and facilities so ecologically intelligently designed, they leave footprints to delight in rather than lament.