Toward a Circular Economy
Perhaps you’ve heard the expression “circular economy” lately. It’s defined as a sustainable economic model that aims to minimize waste and maximize the use of resources by:
- Designing products so that they easily can be dissembled into components that are recyclable (IE cradle-to-cradle design, versus the cradle-to-grave throwaway design philosophy that dominates our world today)
- Sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling materials and products for as long as possible
Circular economy is sometimes also referred to as closed-loop economy or zero-waste economy. In a perfectly circular economy, the green and brown arrows in the graphic below, representing raw materials in and residual waste out, would be tiny or non-existent.
Why does talk of a circular economy matter? In short, because:
- Our world is drowning in stuff
- All stuff has an environmental footprint, mostly from manufacturing and transportation
- Most stuff is not designed with recycling in mind, so it’s thrown out after use, often fouling the world around. Think plastics as an example.
We’re on the cusp of Black Friday and Christmas, the two biggest feeding frenzies of the year that result in tons of stuff and mountains of trash. Here are a few tips for how you can help reduce that:
- Remember that Reduce, the first of the three Rs, is by far the most important
- View every purchase through the lens of i) do I really need this; ii) can I afford this; and iii) what would happen if I didn’t buy this?
- Remember that even the best bargain means you’ll have less money in your pocket than you would if you declined the purchase in the first place – an even more important principle if you’re buying on credit.
- Support circular economy thinking by choosing brands with credible sustainability certifications like these 10 (important, because there’s plenty of greenwashing out there)
- Check out this past Green Ideas for over a dozen more ideas
Happy Thanksgiving to American subscribers – pass the turkey but hold the stuff!
For further reading: here’s a great overview of circular economy.
In the news:
The climate crisis in charts: how 2024 has set unwanted new records.
Saskatchewan’s largest wind farm – 36 turbines partially owned by Cowessess First Nation – is now online, providing power for up to 100,000 homes.
Biggest gift ever: nine Canadian charities and family foundations pledge over $400 million for climate awareness and solutions
How’s your energy literacy? Here’s a fun quiz to find out, accompanied by some mind-blowing insight.
Quotable
“The more we take from Mother Earth the more Love we destroy and take from the next seven generations.”
- Rainbow Eyes / Angela Davidson, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada