Circular economy
A circular economy is an economic model aimed at minimizing waste and promoting the sustainable use of resources. It operates on the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling materials, distinguishing itself from the traditional linear economy, which follows a "take, make, dispose" approach. The circular economy seeks to create restorative systems that maximize the value of materials through efficient use of renewable energy and elimination of harmful pollutants.
Historically, the concept of recycling has evolved over centuries, gaining momentum particularly during the environmental movements of the 1970s, which highlighted the limitations of our natural resources. Various strategies within circular economies include the cradle-to-cradle approach, which reimagines waste as a resource for new products, and biomimicry, which draws inspiration from natural processes to innovate sustainable practices.
Moreover, the performance economy focuses on maximizing resource efficiency and extending product life. Notable examples of circular economy initiatives can be found in cities like Vancouver and Helsinki, as well as in global corporations committed to more sustainable practices. As awareness of environmental impact grows, many countries are actively transitioning toward circular economic models to foster a more sustainable future.
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Circular economy
A circular economy is an economic system with a main focus of reducing and eventually eliminating waste. A circular economy follows a founding principle of reduce, reuse, and recycle. It advocates reducing the use of raw materials, reusing materials to make new products, and recycling existing products. A circular economy is considered restorative and regenerative; it makes more efficient use of renewable energy, eliminates pollutants and toxic chemicals, and attempts to eliminate waste by designing business models, materials, and products to maintain their maximum value. A circular economy is the opposite of a linear economy, which adheres to a principle of take, make, and dispose. While most modern economies follow the linear model, an effort is being made in many countries to convert to the more efficient circular model.
Background
The idea of a circular economy was a gradual creation and did not grow out of one idea or environmental movement. Recycling, one of the main components of a circular economy, is a centuries-old concept, first employed out of necessity by a lack of resources. The Japanese recycled paper as early as the ninth century. Seventeenth-century mills in colonial America recycled old linen and cotton rags. During World War II (1939–1945), recycling efforts were common on both sides of the Atlantic, as the combatants tried to conserve and maximize supplies of steel, rubber, and paper.
Despite the war-time efforts, prior to the 1960s, recycling remained mostly at the household and family level. Large-scale economic models were mainly geared toward production and consumption, using the environment as a means to dispose of waste. Attitudes began to shift in the late 1960s and 1970s as community-wide recycling efforts arose in conjunction with a growing awareness of environmental issues.
In an effort to reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills, many US states and communities began passing recycling laws in the 1980s. Landfill usage was at an all-time high during the decade, with about 150 million tons of garbage sent to landfills each year. By 2013, recycling had helped eliminate more than 87 million tons of waste from landfills, up from 15 million tons in 1980.
Overview
The environmental movement of the 1970s also helped shift many attitudes toward a "big picture" view of the world. Earth was no longer seen as a means of unlimited resources; it was viewed as a planet with a growing population and a limited supply of energy and material resources. A continued reliance on nonrenewable resources would one day fail to keep up with the increased demand, resulting in an environmental tipping point. The linear economies used by most nations had followed a path from raw materials, through production, use, and finally ending as nonrecyclable waste. A new emphasis on circular economies hoped to close the loop and turn the waste back into a resource.
For example, in a linear economy, five hundred lawnmowers may be produced in China and sold in the United States at a retailer. In a more circular economy, most of the lawnmowers will be sold the same way, but a certain number will be refurbished models sold to a customer at a discount. Some customers may also choose to buy lawnmowers that have been rebuilt and recycled from older, disused models.
A circular economy can take many forms, but all have a common theme of following the reduce, reuse, and recycle path. The cradle to cradle concept involves thinking of waste material as the starting point for a new product. Rather than products going from cradle to grave, cradle to cradle aims to eliminate waste altogether by designing products that can be reused indefinitely. The concept also applies to the means of production, such as using renewable energy as a source of power.
The performance economy concept tries to get "more from less" by focusing on business models that create more jobs, better competition, and resource savings. It advocates extending the life of existing products, making more efficient goods that last longer, reconditioning products, and eliminating waste. Biomimicry looks at the models and processes of living organisms and the natural world for inspiration. It sees nature as a model, a measure, and a mentor. For example, this concept may use the yearly life cycle of a leaf to develop a business plan that cuts down on waste and pushes renewable resources.
An industrial ecology views waste as input and not as a by-product of production and use. Business models that employ this concept take into consideration the ecological impact of production and try to mold it to perform like a living system. Natural capitalism views the world's resources—water, soil, air, and life—as assets, similar to how businesses use money, materials, and employees. This concept aims to increase the productivity of natural resources, attempting to make them last longer to create cost savings and efficiency. It promotes reinvesting in natural resources to restore the raw materials removed from the environment. It also advocates a production system based on natural processes, either reusing waste or harmlessly returning it to the ecosystem.
Circular economy models promote the sharing of assets and resources; they increase efficiency and prolong product life through maintenance. Circular economies focus on the use of computer technology as a primary method of commerce. Online shopping lessens the need to allocate resources to physical locations; downloading music, movies, and books online also eliminates the plastic used for CDs and DVDs, and the paper used for books.
Companies such as Dow Chemicals, Timberland, Walmart, and India's Tata Motors are among the leading corporate proponents of a circular economy. The Canadian city of Vancouver, Finland's capital of Helsinki, the Chinese city of Shenzhen, and Seoul, South Korea, are among the major cities that have adopted more environmentally friendly policies. In 2021, France became the first country to institute a repairability index on electronic devices. The government of the Netherlands has adopted an initiative to transform itself from a linear to a circular economy by 2050.
Bibliography
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