The Family-Friendly Guide to the Circular Economy
In the early 20th century, biologist John Todd made a significant comment on global resources: "If you generate waste, do something with it".
We, humans, have been throwing away too much waste. We create products, use them, and then throw them away, littering the planet in the process. But what if there was a different way to do things?
In the natural world, there isn’t any rubbish or landfill. Energy is provided by the sun, one species’ waste is another one’s food and when things die, their nutrients return to the soil — it’s the circle of life. Unfortunately, humans do things in a more linear way… and by linear economy we mean 'take, use, throw away.’
The industry has come a long way since the beginning of the 20th century, with companies like ours paying close attention to where we get our resources and what happens to them after use. But in general, our society is at the very beginning of reimagining, redesigning, and rethinking all the materials used in products, as well as the means by which they can be reduced, reused, and recycled. These efforts are crucial to reducing the effects of global warming.
The world can reduce its carbon emissions and its chances of dangerous climate change by moving to a circular economy.
A circular economy is a regenerative system in which resource, waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by slowing, closing, and narrowing energy and material loops. This is possible through inventing a design that is long-lasting and also through activities that prioritize taking care of the things that we already own, such as maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, recycling, and upcycling.
A circular economy is centered on the idea that the waste from one industry can be recycled as raw material by another industry or the same one. Its goal is to extend the life of materials and to produce new goods and products while strongly limiting the consumption and waste of new raw materials and non-renewable sources of energy.
You can it also sum it up with these core values:
Remove waste and pollution
Keep products and materials in use
Regenerate natural systems
Reusing, re-producing, recycling are circular practices that will help us reduce greenhouse gasses. The global economy is only 9% circular, meaning that only 9% of 92.8 billion tons of minerals, fossil fuels, metals, and biomass that enter the economy are reused annually.
Climate change and the use of our available materials are closely linked. Around 62% of global greenhouse gas emissions are emitted during the extraction, processing, and production of goods that serve the needs of society. Embracing the circular economy is a big step forward in tackling climate change. Recycling, greater resource efficiency, and circular business models offer enormous scope for reducing emissions.
Taking action towards a circular economy that makes the most of the existing assets while reducing dependence on new raw materials and minimizing waste is also an important step towards reducing the world's waste and carbon footprint. Additionally, extending the life of existing resources will not only reduce emissions, but also reduce existing social inequalities.
Practical examples:
Recycling
When we want to have the latest phone or computer, we need to get rid of the one we already have in a sustainable, productive way that doesn’t create trash, but also allows different industries to take parts of it and reuse them. For examples, smartphones contain copper, gold, and silver, all materials that can be reused many times.
Endurance
In a circular economy, all products are designed so they last longer and can be repaired more easily. When they stop working, they would be simple to take apart so that the precious metals and materials inside them could be reused in another product or returned safely to nature.
Repair Stores
Fix instead of throwing away broken things. This can be much easier than you think! Nowadays, repair cafés all around the UK and Ireland provide tools, materials, and advice to people who want to mend their items, including furniture, bicycles, electrical appliances, clothes, crockery, and toys.
Secondhand shopping
In Sweden, eco-friendly shoppers can go to the first-ever second-hand shopping center, ReTuna! From coats to chairs, every store in the building sells only upcycled goods. It helps people find a bargain and most importantly, lower their waste! If Sweden is too far away from you, have a look around your local charity shop.
Consciousness
What if something you have is not broken, but you just don’t want it any more? You can sell, donate, or gift those things.
And before you go, consider watching this video together with your family. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about how to take better care of the environment!