What is a Circular Economy?
After our most recent post about Virgin Materials, we were asked a follow up about the phrase "Circular Economy." Let's dive in!
A Circular Economy is an economic system built on regeneration and zero-waste practices. In a truly perfect circular system, all products would be repaired, regenerated, and recycled to return to the market again.
This concept is important because recycling requires less virgin material extraction, which leads to less habitat loss, less pollution, and less energy and water usage, as discussed in our last post. Recycling also sends less items to landfill, and less items end up as litter. Recycling creates durable jobs in many sectors, such as regenerative agriculture, waste management, and logistics, and leads us away from instable jobs dependent on virgin resource availability.
Every time you recycle a cardboard box, a tin can, or a plastic bottle, you help close the loop and create a more circular economy. No one can currently live a fully zero-waste life, but every step closer is a leap in progress!