Sustainable Planet

Closing the Loop on Waste: Considering a Circular Economy


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Following up on landfills, planned obsolescence, and the right to repair, a circular economy offers a world where thoughtfully designed goods and their packaging result in practically no waste. Requiring a system overhaul unlikely to happen, in Part I of this segment on regenerative economy, Jorden and Kimberly focus on what we can take away from the challenges of shifting to a circular economy.

 

Key Topics Jorden and Kimberly discuss include:

  • Just how many Rs we should be practicing
  • How a circular economy is like an inverted pyramid connected to an inverted Q
  • Why pursuing a circular economy is like replacing the entire hull of a ship at sea
  • Why the world needs to reuse a whole lot more than the measly current 9%
  • How waste streams around the world keep the system in stasis
  • Why integrating a circular economy is unlikely to happen, but worth pursuing
  • Recommended Resources

    • About a circular economy, with visuals!
    • About Germany’s Green Dot system and the Eurostat data
    • The WEF details of a circular economy
    • The ambitious 10 R’s of a circular economy
    • The 7 pillars of the circular economy
    • Kimberly’s Substack newsletter post
    • ...more
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      Sustainable PlanetBy Kimberly Weir