Can Circular-Economy Save Our Planet?

Imagine a future where human prosperity does not translate into sacrificing nature.

In a world with no waste, no pollution, where animals and plants grow, and in the blue ocean flourish from the existence of humans as much as we do - is this possible? Or must life on Earth be a zero-sum game between humanity and other species?

Imagine the future as either a bleak scenario in which humanity is perpetually out of control.

A better way could save the planet is called the circular economy. Five actions should be taken:

• Refuse

• Reduce

• Reuse

• Repurpose

• Recycle

“Bending” the economy from its present linear sequence of resource extraction –> production –> consumption –> waste disposal to become circular and sustainable requires a much more thorough systems approach to goods and services, a reconceptualization of design and production, and the development of technologies and processes that can turn used finished goods back into inputs to production.

Imagining a more sustainable future

The good news is that much of it is already happening.

Cities throughout the world have already increased their targets for the circular economy, and finding new ways of using waste arising from their built environment as well as from utilization. By sustainability goals, many cities are largely internalizing part of their resource flows, especially in water and high-value-added food production, and removing carbon emissions and pollution from energy consumption.

But, there are still many barriers to making the economy comprehensively circular.

This fundamental limitation means that worldwide human development and urbanization will likely be associated with more energy use, not less.

Have you read it?

• The view from Davos: How to accelerate action on the circular economy

• Why a digital India needs to embrace the circular economy

• Why the future of consumption is circular

However, many recycling and reuser processes are prohibitive primarily because of energy costs.

For example, aluminium can be recycled financially because of its high-embedded energy, while plastics are not.

The age of recycling everything

In a world, of renewable energy, recycling practically everything becomes possible to save the land, ocean, and environment. This change stimulates the clean energy. In the area of technology change, design and business practices.

In a world of technological change, design and business that become more innovative are barely needed and where are the opportunities more spectacular?