In practice, the term circular economy refers to something old with a new appearance. Circular refers to sharing, recycling, energy efficiency and a transition away from throwawayism. Economy refers to an activity being economically viable. In other words, we need a cultural shift in which we increase recycling, remanufacturing and upcycling. Our entire industry and design system must change. Unless products are designed to be recyclable from the start, they are impossible to recycle. We live in a highly wasteful economy. The competitive assets of tomorrow include resource efficiency, reuse and recycling. In a circular economy, it is important that the design phase of a new product includes consideration of what will be done with the product once its intended use ends. The objective is to prolong the life of products and recover the materials used at the end of their lifecycle.
Circular economy refers to the lifecycle of products being made into a circle, rather than a straight line. In the old model, goods are produced, transported, consumed and finally, in the worst case scenario, disposed of in landfills or left to litter the environment. In a circular economy, materials and products are made to be durable, and their useful life is lengthened as much as possible. Once a product reaches the end of its life, its materials and packaging are used to make new products. The aim is to minimise wastage and waste. The change is driven by individuals and their thinking, values and faith in future opportunities. It is also important that we use the correct terms to talk about this and disseminate information to future producers.
If you think about it, the circular economy realises the old model of an agrarian society. In the past, farms wasted nothing and instead made use of everything. We should strive to do the same now. Products should be designed to implement the circular economy as efficiently as possible. In the circular economy, products are durable, alterable and repairable. Materials must be recyclable, and products should contain as few different components as possible, as recycling one or two is easier than recycling several.In accordance with the waste hierarchy, the greatest savings are always achieved at the top of the hierarchy – in other words, when zero waste is generated or when waste is reused or recycled. Landfilling and incineration of waste have the highest price tags.
Are we stuck in a rat race of consumption? The Earth’s natural resources are in danger of running out due to unsustainable consumption. In order for the Earth to be preserved in a habitable condition for future generations, our consumption habits must change and we must transition to more responsible consumption.Responsible consumption means transitioning from a linear economy to a circular economy in which the waste from one production chain serves as raw material for another production chain.By implementing the circular economy, we will improve the quality of our own lives, save money and save the Earth.The development of new recycling methods for textiles, for example, is a challenge we will face in the future.
