The first principle of the circular economy is to eliminate waste and pollution.
economy works in a take-make-waste system — the Linear Economy
We take raw materials from the Earth, we make products from them, and eventually we throw them away as waste
Waste ends up in landfills, or is incinerated. This is LOST resources.
We have finite resources. We can't support always LOSING matter.
The problem (and the solution) starts with design
it sometimes seems like waste is inevitable in certain situations, waste is actually the result of design choices
no waste in nature (Biomimicry)
tiny, short-lived products, like crisp packets, all the way up to seemingly permanent structures like buildings and roads
linear to circular
treat waste as a design flaw
a specification for any design is that the materials re-enter the economy at the end of their use
Technical: maintained, shared, reused, repaired, refurbished, remanufactured, and, as a last resort, recycled
Biological: materials that are safe to return to nature can regenerate the land (compost)
"Throw something away" — but where is away?
adopting reusable packaging as a way to eliminate waste
selling products without packaging
dying textiles without using water
stop waste before it is even created
What examples can you think of that we can add to this column of "solutions" or to this pillar of design ideas?