How does a circular economy work?
The so-called linear economy currently dominates: products are made from raw materials and only used for a short time before they end up as waste. Then new raw materials have to be obtained and the process begins again – with high costs for the environment.
The circular economy breaks this cycle. The products are designed to last and be easy to repair. At the end of their life, they are largely recycled so that their raw materials can be reused for new products. For example, a new glass bottle can be made from someone else's shards. This reduces waste and emissions and saves money and resources.
The principle of the circular economy can be transferred to all production processes and made even more climate-friendly through the use of renewable energies.
What are the benefits of recycling?
The principle of the circular economy is not new: for centuries, products all over the world have been used for as long as possible and wasted as little as possible.
Only in the last 150 years or so, as production processes have become industrialized, have objects become increasingly disposable.
However, the circular economy continues to thrive today in many traditional communities, but also in sectors such as organic farming, where excrement is a natural fertilizer for growing food.
Architects in many countries are also increasingly relying on sustainable building materials that can be sourced locally, such as wood instead of climate-damaging cement. There are also efforts to renovate buildings to extend their use and, if they have to be demolished, to reuse the building materials.
Many materials, including glass and metals, can be recycled with almost no loss of quality. Paper can be reused up to 25 times. Plastic, on the other hand, is typically less easy to recycle because it is often mixed with other materials and contains harmful chemicals.
Recycling can also reduce emissions. For metals, for example, recycling aluminum saves around 95% of the energy required to re-extract it from ore.
The recovery of materials such as metal from the scrapyard saves energy and resourcesImage: Peter Hofstetter/Zoonar/picture Alliance
What does the circular economy mean for consumers and industry?
Building a circular economy requires supportive policies and the involvement of consumers and industry.
Consumers can make a difference by not only separating their waste to support the recycling process, but also purchasing products that are designed to last and produce little waste. For example, a high-quality jacket made of wool or cotton may be more expensive than one made of synthetic materials, but you can wear it longer and it is easier to repair. And unlike plastic waste, natural fibers can be composted without harming the environment.
Industry can make a major contribution by producing products in a way that conserves resources and energy – ideally without toxic chemicals that impair reuse. For example, cell phones can be manufactured so that batteries and other parts can be easily replaced. And if recycling is taken into account in the design, gold, rare earths and other raw materials can be more easily recovered from the devices and reused.
However, in order to transition to a circular economy, governments must also create supportive legal frameworks and policies. More and more countries and companies are now promoting recycling, waste avoidance and the thoughtful design of systems and products. This also benefits the economy and could create around six million new jobs worldwide by 2030.
This article was adapted from German by Holly Young.
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