Close the Loop and Move Beyond a Throwaway Economy
As resources are depleted, the circular economy offers a more sustainable model based on reduction, reuse and recycling.
The economy still operates largely in a straight line: resources are extracted, products are made, consumed and discarded. The circular economy aims to close this loop, and the distance still to travel is enormous.
Much more than recycling
Reducing the circular economy to waste sorting misunderstands the concept. Its hierarchy begins long before the bin and follows a clear order of priority:
- Eco-design durable, repairable products from the outset.
- Extend product life through maintenance and repair.
- Reuse through second-hand markets and refurbishment.
- Share use through rental and pooling.
- Recycle materials only as a last resort.
Recycling is the safety net, not the first solution. Some materials deteriorate during every cycle and many cannot be recycled at all.
A resource issue as much as a waste issue
Every object not produced saves energy, water and raw materials upstream. In a world where resource extraction heavily affects climate and biodiversity, circularity is first a strategy for reducing pressure on the planet.
It is also a source of local employment because repair, refurbishment and reuse are difficult to relocate abroad.
- Less than 10% of the global economy is circular today.
- The hierarchy is to reduce and repair first, and recycle only as a last resort.
- Circularity saves upstream resources, not only downstream waste.