Course Introduction

WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?

Looking beyond the current take-make-waste extractive industrial model, a circular economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital. A circular economy is based on three principles:

Design out waste and pollution
Keep products and materials in use
Regenerate natural systems

—Ellen MacArther Foundation

The negative effects of using a linear economic model for the past two centuries has now demonstrated just how detrimental the take-make-dispose model has been. Destroyed ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, mountains of waste, inhumane treatment of animals, and resource depletion are just a few of the major issues that we now face. An alternative model is needed, and although not new, the circular economy model is now being implemented by companies as an increasingly necessary way to do business.

In a circular economy, materials are ideally never discarded but end up back in the supply chain in one form or another. In this fashion, the amount of extracted materials is reduced, and preferably down to zero. The circular model begins by examining materials, both biological and technical, explained here by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation:

Consumption happens only in biological cycles, where food and biologically-based materials (such as cotton or wood) are designed to feed back into the system through processes like composting and anaerobic digestion. These cycles regenerate living systems, such as soil, which provide renewable resources for the economy. Technical cycles recover and restore products, components, and materials through strategies like reuse, repair, remanufacture or (in the last resort) recycling.

—Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Through each stage of the design and development process,
key issues need to be included and addressed:

Designers need a thorough understanding of these materials to implement real change in the impact of the products they design. Brand values, the designer, and the manufacturer are the key stakeholders that will ultimately determine the best practices used or if the circular model will be followed during the development of products.
Manufacturing may not be local, so it is imperative that overseas partners understand the impacts that their choices make on manufacturing and distribution, leaving the brands responsible for picking partners with similar values.
Educating the consumer will be imperative for the success of implementing the circular economy. Only when customers begin to demand products produced and disposed of in responsible ways will it be feasible for brands to implement the circular model successfully.
Not only do brands need to educate the consumer about how the product was made but also how to dispose of the product correctly. Reuse and repair programs have been gathering steam as consumers look to rent or purchase used gear, extend the life of the products they own, and avoid waste at the end of a product’s useful life.
Recycling products and materials should only occur after the product can no longer be used, repaired, resold, donated, or upgraded. Recycling sacrifices product integrity and complexity. A product or material can only be called “recyclable” if the infrastructure to collect and process the materials is widely available and if demand exists for the recycled materials. Effective recycling programs put materials back into the supply chain and include methods and processes for recycling the materials into new materials. Providing education for consumers, businesses, and supply chains, cost-effective infrastructure, and a market for recycled materials are all required for the success of any recycling program.
Finally, landfills should be used as a last resort and ultimately, avoided. Understanding the differences in how landfills are designed and the issues that arise in those designs will help brands and customers make better decisions for the waste they generate.

The future looks brighter with a circular model and use of many previously implemented sustainable practices, and with more consumers and brands being educated about what they can do to move toward a circular economy, there is hope. Researchers and brands are working together to develop new technologies that will help us move toward a circular economy and to address the problems resulting from using the linear model. This course will focus on the various steps in the circular economy and highlight changes that companies can make to move toward a more circular economy.

KEY CONCEPT

A key concept to remember is that regardless of our suggestions, every material, every process, and every choice has an impact.

For example, a process that might take fewer chemicals may use more water for the same output, or what may use less energy might require more chemicals. Because of this, it’s important to have an awareness that in every decision there are tradeoffs to consider, and one must have a process to assess those tradeoffs. For example, to identify the impacts, understand what they mean to your product, supply chain, and business, and weigh the choices and opportunities to make an informed decision.