#EXPLAINED: the circular economy
The growth of environmentalism in recent years has been met with an equal, if not greater, growth in buzzwords. If you’ve been left scratching your head at what terms like carbon footprint, sustainable, or circular economy really mean, you aren’t alone! The latter, in fact, is one of the most heavily searched terms online, and it’s an integral enough concept that we want to shed some light on it today! Keep reading to find out what the circular economy is, why it’s so important, and what you can do to take part.
What is the circular economy?
In nature, everything is reused. Organisms called decomposers break down natural waste into its most basic components, freeing up nutrients to be used by other organisms called primary producers (plants). Primary producers photosynthesize and also provide even more organisms called consumers (like animals and humans) with food. When primary producers and consumers die, they become the natural waste that feeds this process, completing the cycle of the natural world. Humans, in contrast, have adopted a very different approach to dealing with waste. Ours is one that is linear in nature and involves a take, make and dispose model. In stark contrast to nature, our waste accumulates in landfills where much of it will persist for substantial periods of time, depleting our finite supply of resources and producing toxic waste in the process. In recent years, many have come to realize that this is not a sustainable way to live and born from this realization was the concept of the circular economy.
The circular economy is a model of production and consumption that utilizes anything from sharing, to leasing, reusing, and repairing existing materials for as long as possible to extend their lives. There are many different ideologies and components within the circular economy, but all are built on the following three principles.
The three principles to the circular economy
Principle 1: Eliminate waste and pollution
Simply put, the idea behind this principle is to reduce our waste either by reducing our consumption or by purchasing goods that contribute as little waste as possible. It involves critically thinking about each purchase we make to determine whether it is truly necessary. It also involves purchasing goods in a sustainable manner.
Principle 2: Circulate products and materials
The general idea here is to design products to be reused, repaired, or remanufactured rather than disposed at the end of their life. This can involve a leasing model whereby companies lease items like your dishwasher or laundry machine to you and then accept them back at the end of their life, reusing their component parts. Companies like Renault have applied a circular approach to the automobile industry through programs that retrofit vehicles, recycle component parts, and more. It’ll take the participation of many companies across many industries, however, for an impact to be made. Image courtesy of Renault.
Principle 3: Regenerate nature
This principle largely surrounds working with nature, through the cyclical model we’ve already discussed, to reduce our impact on the planet and live more sustainably. A very cool example of this is Brazil’s Balbo Group, who are using modified machinery and restoring natural processes in an ecosystem to grow organic sugar. Their approach is to take care of the entire ecosystem, without worrying about the sugar itself too much. This is rooted in the idea that the biodiversity of an ecosystem is vital to its functioning, so focusing on ecosystem health will promote a healthier crop than focusing on that crop alone. So cool! Image courtesy of renature.co.
What can you do?
At this point, you may be wondering where you can start given all the information above. Here are five tips to get you on the right path.
Make smart purchasing decisions: Before making a purchase (particularly for non-provisioning items) ask yourself if what you’re purchasing is truly needed. The fact is, many of our purchases simply aren’t. If you do need to buy something, consider who you are buying it from. Do they produce that item responsibly? Do they minimize waste with packaging? Are they taking steps to revolutionize their industry from a circular economy perspective? Researching the companies we buy from and choosing those that are ethical and environmentally responsible goes a long way, so much so that there is actually a term for it - voting with your dollar.
Shop low waste: Ultimately, there are things we need to buy on a recurring basis like food, cleaning products, personal care, and more. Low waste stores make it easier for you to purchase these products more sustainably by eliminating packaging. The idea is simple - bring your own jars or containers, fill up however much you need of a particular item, use the item at home, and repeat! When it comes to ordering takeout, you can skip the single use containers by ordering with Suppli! Your order will be prepared in a reusable, food grade stainless steel container that is reused over and over.
Reduce food waste: Food waste is a major contributor to our current environmental issues. You can reduce your food waste by planning your grocery shops more carefully, checking in mid-week to ensure you’re using what you’ve purchased, and freezing items if possible to extend their life.
Reuse and repurpose, where you can: When an item you own is breaking down, consider whether it’s possible to have it fixed. If not, brainstorm some other ways you can use that item. For example, if you’ve burned a candle and are left with it’s jar, clean the jar out and use it as a pen holder! There are tons of online resources dedicated to reusing items to help you get creative. If an item of yours is still in working condition but you no longer have a use for it, consider selling it online. There is a huge market for secondhand items and online platforms like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace make it super easy to offload things you no longer want. This is also a great place to turn to when making a purchase to extend the life of someone else’s items!
Dispose of waste responsibly: If an item is truly at the end of its life and there is no way to repurpose it, ensure that you are disposing of it responsibly. From light bulbs to batteries to printer ink cartridges, many suppliers have programs in place to ensure that items (particular ones that take a long time to break down and/or can pollute our ecosystems) are responsibly recycled or disposed of.
Additional resources:
Recommended podcast: The Circular Economy Show by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (much of the info you see above was provided from them!)
Recommended documentary: Closing the Loop
Recommended book: Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the way we make things by William McDonough & Michael Braungart
We hope this guide has been useful in helping you understand the circular economy. If you have any tips, questions, or things to add, we want to hear from you! Send us an email here.
Cover photo courtesy of Unsplash.
