What is the circular economy

what is the circular economy and characteristics

You have surely heard this concept before. However, not many know what is circular economy. The European Parliament wants to adopt a circular economy so that raw materials can be used more efficiently and the amount of waste generated during the process is reduced. You have to know that our economy based on consumption is not sustainable in the long term.

Therefore, we are going to tell you in this article what the circular economy is, what its characteristics are and how important it is.

General consumption situation in the EU

importance of recycling

The EU generates more than 2500 billion tonnes of waste every year. Community agencies are working hard to reform the legislative framework to promote the transition from the current linear model of waste management to a true 'circular economy'.

In March 2020, under the European Green Deal, as part of the proposed new industrial strategy, the European Commission proposed a new circular economy action plan, which includes designing more sustainable products, reducing waste and empowering citizens. (as the "right to repair"). Particular attention is paid to resource-intensive industries such as electronics and ICT, plastics, textiles or construction.

In February 2021, Parliament voted on the Circular Economy Action Plan and called for further measures to achieve a fully circular, sustainable, non-toxic and carbon-free economy by 2050. This should include stricter recycling laws and binding targets to reduce the ecological footprint due to material use and consumption by 2030.

What is the circular economy

what is circular economy

Faced with the problems of waste generation and the low efficiency in the use of raw materials, the concept of circular economy was born. The circular economy is a production and consumption model that involves sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, updating and recycling existing materials and products as far as possible to create added value. This prolongs the life cycle of the product.

In practice, this means minimizing waste. When the product reaches its useful life, your materials will stay in the economy for as long as possible. These can be use repeatedly and effectively to create additional value. It is in contrast to the traditional linear economic model based mainly on the concept of "throwaway", which requires a lot of cheap and easily accessible materials and energy. The outdated plans of the European Parliament that call for action are also part of this model.

It is necessary to change to circular economy

industrialized world

One of the reasons for the shift to a circular economy is the increased demand for raw materials and the scarcity of resources. Several important raw materials are limited, and as the world's population grows, so does demand.

Another reason is dependence on other countries: some EU countries depend on other countries for their raw materials. The impact on the climate is another factor. The extraction and use of raw materials has important environmental consequences, increasing energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and a smarter use of raw materials can reduce polluting emissions.

Measures such as waste prevention, eco-design and reuse can save EU companies money while reducing total annual greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, the production of materials we use on a daily basis represents 45% of our carbon dioxide emissions.

The shift to a more circular economy can produce benefits such as reducing environmental pressures, improving safety of the supply of raw materials, stimulate competitiveness, innovation, economic growth (0,5% of GDP) and employment (which will create approximately 700.000 jobs). Only in the EU by 2030).

It can also provide consumers with more durable and innovative products, thus saving money and improving quality of life; For example, if the mobile phone is easier to disassemble, the cost of remanufacturing can be cut in half.

From 3R to 7R

The well-known 3Rs -Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- minimize impact and save resources and energy. But why not make the product more sustainable from the design itself? Or why not repair them instead of buying new ones? The circular economy introduces other concepts such as eco-design and restoration in the chain, extending these 3Rs to 7Rs. Let's see in depth what these 7Rs are:

  1. Redesign: Include the environment in product design, that is, based on eco-design. In this way, not only the function of the product has an advantage in manufacturing, but also sustainability.
  2. Reduce: We consume a lot and very fast. Therefore, to protect the environment, we must also reduce the amount of products we consume and the amount of waste we generate.
  3. Re-use: Its objective is to extend the useful life of the products and to reuse them by giving them new life by hand or by DIY. On the Internet, you will find thousands of ideas that can be reused for any product.
  4. Repair: In many cases, when a product fails, we tend to buy a new one without even considering the option to repair it. But repairs are usually cheaper and always better for the environment. Save raw materials, energy and reduce waste!
  5. Renew: It is about updating all these old objects so that they can be used again for the purpose of creating them.
  6. To recover: This includes collecting used materials and reintroducing them into the production process.
  7. Recycle: reintroduction of waste that has been used in the production process to become raw material for other new products. After trying all the above methods, it should be the last option. Because remember, the best waste is waste that is not produced!

I hope that with this information you can learn more about what the circular economy is, what its characteristics are and the importance it has for the world today.


A comment, leave yours

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.

  1.   ferdinand schujman said

    Hello, the circular economy, addresses the economic activities from a «comprehensive vision, in 360º from a specific activity: extractive, agricultural, urban, industrial, maritime, etc. considering the process of the same related to its external causalities and secondary effects or collaterals that it produces in its proximal and distal environment, the results of which can be estimated and treated if necessary according to the impact produced, in the universe of elements considered significant for the case. It is based on holistic and integral principles to understand reality, whose elements are considered within processes and systems related to multiple possibilities, which gives us a more faithful idea of ​​reality and its dynamics over time, surpassing the analytical experimental model, which made possible the great technological development of the contemporary world, from the XNUMXth century to today, but it is insufficient to address complex problems, specifically global problems, both social, environmental and cultural, which constitute, paraphrasing Jose Ortega y Gasset: «The theme of our time"