Reduces Waste & Pollution

Extraction, manufacturing, and waste production of a linear economic system produces a staggering amount of waste and pollution. Reducing, reusing, and recycle can cut back these problems, while providing an array of related benefits.

Reduced Energy Use

The majority of energy use, globally is used by the industrial and shipping sectors. Circular economy can help reduce energy use in both of these.

Reduce Greenhouse Gases

The majority of greenhouse gases are created by the industrial sector, as well as shipping for those goods. By creating and buying less, we can reduce greenhouse gases globally. Reusing, sharing, fixing, and maintaining use less energy and produce less gases than recycling, but recycling produces less greenhouse gases than throwing things away and creating entirely new products.

Reduced Water Demand

Growing crops including those used for fiber and lumber requires a lot of water. Production of good in general uses a staggering amount of water, including the massive amount of water used to produce petroleum oil and plastic containers. By producing less in the first place we can dramatically reduce our water usage, which will increase water security for generations to come.

Financial Benefits

Reusing materials for as long as possible, then recycling them back into the same system benefits companies, communities, and individuals alike. 

Reduced Production for the Economy Could Create Job Loss

In a world where many people are struggling to keep or acquire new jobs, this is an important ethical consideration to consider.

We are already losing jobs due to economy contraction, being replaced by robots and AI, which means the risk of further job loss as we all scale back on production is an ever-growing threat to many people. 

This is why it is perhaps more important than ever to consider non-economic ways to support people and their communities. Some examples include welfare programs and wealth redistribution solutions such as Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI), share economies, and single-payer health coverage for all.

Examples of Circular Economy

Biological

Composting

This can be done at home or on a farm, but in urban communities where people often don't have enough space to compost, composting services are starting to take off all over the world!

Construction & Industry

General

Zero Waste Shops

These businesses are diverse in both what they sell and how they sell it. Some consist of standard food, drinks, and cleaning supplies sold in bulk for customers to take away in their own reusable bags and reusable containers (some shops offer cleaned jars that customers can bring back for others who also forgot to bring theirs or didn't have enough for their whole purchase).

Other zero-waste businesses take old materials and turn them into new products such as clothing, furniture, safety gear, sports equipment, home décor such as durable tiles, and much more.

Waste Cleanups

Some cleaver people have come up with ways to clean up toxic waste and turn it into useable materials, such as mining waste that has been spilling one waterway that is being used to make art supplies. Some organizations are working with struggling fishing communities to help clean up deadly fishing gear, producing quality products as the ecosystems that the materials came from start to bounce back with new life!

Organizations & Networks