Waste and the circular economy
Date published:
Tamma Carel, Director & Senior Environmental Consultant at iCOR, explores the importance of circular economy.
What is circularity?
Circularity refers to the concept of creating closed-loop systems that minimise the use of finite resources, reduce waste, and optimise the use of materials and energy. It is a key principle of the circular economy, which aims to create economic, social, and environmental benefits by designing products, systems, and services that are regenerative and restorative, rather than extractive and wasteful.
In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in use for as long as possible, and resources are used efficiently and sustainably. When a product reaches the end of its useful life, it is either reused, repaired, or recycled, rather than being discarded and replaced with a new product. This approach helps to minimise waste, reduce environmental impact, and create economic value.
Circularity can be applied to a wide range of sectors and industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and transportation. By adopting circular practices, businesses and organisations can create more sustainable products and systems, and contribute to the transition to a more regenerative and resilient global economy.
A circular economy is a systematic approach to economic development designed to benefit businesses, societies and the environment. Unlike a linear system of ‘best out of waste’, a circular economy is regenerative by design to reduce finite resources consumption.
The whole process looks into the material’s different biological and technical nature, different opportunities with using materials and products and creating an idea for continuous transformation.
How can we design for a circular economy?
Circular Design plays a crucial role in the circular economy, as it shapes the products, systems, and services that we use and how they function. In a circular economy, the design must focus on creating closed-loop systems that minimise the use of finite resources, reduce waste, and optimise the use of materials and energy.
Design in a circular economy can be approached in the following ways:
- Design for durability and repair: Products should be designed to last as long as possible and be easy to repair or refurbish when needed.
- Design for reuse and recycling: Products should be designed to be easily disassembled so that their components can be reused or recycled.
- Design for resource efficiency: Products should be designed to use resources efficiently and minimise waste. This includes using renewable and regenerative resources whenever possible.
- Design for adaptability: Products should be designed to be easily adapted to new uses, rather than being discarded and replaced when they are no longer needed for their original purpose.
By adopting these principles, designers can create products and systems that are more sustainable and have a smaller environmental footprint. This can lead to significant benefits for both the environment and society, as well as economic benefits for the companies that adopt these practices.
Why should we be working towards a circular economy?
The circular economy presents an alternative to the dominant linear market systems. The recycling process is essential for the planet since it keeps garbage out of the ecosystem preserves fossil resources, and contributes significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the present plastic recycling system is insufficient to keep significant amounts of plastic from damaging the environment or being burnt. One major reason for this is that the diversity of polymers, colours, adhesives, and labels makes reprocessing these components in a closed economy difficult, if not impractical.
The move from a straight to circular economy for our products and services is critical, particularly in terms of ecological impact. Recyclable materials are also more ecologically friendly. It facilitates gathering, retrieval, and recycling; it minimises the amount of waste to landfill and pollutant emissions; it saves money; and it may be transformed into high-quality byproducts through a closed economy.
The Circular Economy Package, which will come into law later this year, is an important part of the Government’s existing commitment to move towards a more circular economy and reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Legislated for through the landmark Environment Bill, these measures will help drive up recycling levels and decrease the amount of waste being sent to landfill. We are also committed to introducing a new world-leading tax for businesses which produce or import plastic packaging that does not contain at least 30% recycled content. This is subject to further consultation currently taking place. (Source).
We already have the technical filtering capability to enable such a systemic transformation. We require the desired and close collaboration of industry, politics, research, and community. It is important because it requires less resources than removal and disposal; otherwise, it increases, rather than decreases, the carbon footprint.
If you would like to understand more about the regulatory landscape surrounding circularity, then iCOR can help. Please get in touch for more information.