Circular Economy

WASTE GENERATION AND
MANAGEMENT
Circular economy & the rule of the 3 Rs are some solutions to solve the
waste generation and management problem.
By SushilKumar
Population & waste management
• Growing world population Has negative impact on
our planet
• Which leads to :
• Global warming
• Resource over exploitation
• Waste generation ::::::::::::: major problems
• For example,
• in Europe, every citizen generates an average 1.69 kg
of waste a day,
• i.e. 620 kg per year.
• Of which 60% of waste generation is a result of
packaging and product containers,
• Which are disposed off after a single use.
Population & waste management
• Until recently, waste management was
focused on dumping waste in landfills or
incinerating it.
• This is an unsustainable solution for several
reasons :
• Risk for the environment, living beings and
human health
• Failure to reduce the resource consumption
(raw materials and energy)
• It does not act on the cause (the consumption
model), only on the consequence (waste
management).
Circular economy
Circular economy is presented as a system of resources utilization where
reduction, reuse and recycling of elements prevails
Linear Economy
• Until recently, the production and

consumption model was mainly
linear.
• That is Manufacture, use and
disposal
• This system is highly inefficient and
unsustainable in time.
Linear economy, an unsustainable solution
• Linear economy is highly polluting as it
damages :
• Water : in rivers & oceans, lowering quality of
drinking water and affecting marine life
• Land : reduces soil quality & causing
desertification
• Air : air pollution leads to global warming
• Living being : has a serious consequences for
flora and fauna & public health
Hence there is a need for changing the model
of production & consumption
changing from a linear economic model to a circular economy, which emulates nature by converting waste
into resources.
Circular Economy
• Circular economy is inspired by

the cyclical model of nature
that converts waste into
resources, leading to the
reduction, reuse and recycling
of the elements.
What is the circular economy?
• Circular economy is presented as a system of resources
utilization where reduction, reuse and recycling of elements
prevails : minimize production to a bare minimum, and when
it's necessary to use the product, go for the reuse of the
elements that can not return to the environment.
• That is, the circular economy promotes the use of as many
biodegradable materials as possible in the manufacture of
products -biological nutrients- so they can get back to nature
without causing environmental damage at the end of their
useful life.
• When it is not possible to use eco-friendly materials -technical
nutrients: electronics, hardware, batteries... - the aim is to
facilitate a simple uncoupling to give them a new life by
reintroducing them into the production cycle and compose a
new piece. When this is not possible, it will be recycled in a
respectful way with the environment.
• the circular economy principles will help in changing the
current economic, social and environmental model.
Steps on company as well as
consumer level
• To adapt circular economy, it is essential that company & consumer change
their way of thinking & acting
• As a result, production prices are reduced, so that the sale price is also
lowered, thereby benefiting the consumer; not only economically, but also
in social and environmental aspects.
• Responsibility of company : company should prove that reusing resources
is much more cost effective than creating them from scratch.
• Company must design products in accordance with circular economy
• Using waste as a raw materials
• Reducing the use of available resources (i.e. fossil fuels)
• Responsibility of consumer :
• Has great responsibility for product use by using the principle of 3Rs
The 3 Rs principle is Hierarchical Means that actions are ordered
according to their priority
• Reduce : reduce consumption

• Preventing the generation of waste
• Modifying our consumption habits
• Purchasing product responsibly
• Reuse : reuse products

• Using the product again for same function (i.e. at least by
repairing it)
• Or alternative uses
• Just for extending its useful life
• Recycle : if first 2 options are not feasible

• Introducing waste materials into the production cycle as raw
materials.
Circular economy principles
• Waste becomes a resource: All the biodegradable material returns to the nature and the non
biodegradable is reused.
• Second use: reintroduce in the economic circuit those products that no longer correspond to
the initial consumers needs.
• Reuse: reuse certain products or parts of those products that still work to elaborate new
artefacts.
• Reparation: find damage products a second life.
• Recycle: make use of materials founded in waste.
• Valorisation: harness energy from waste that can’t be recycled.
• Functionality economy: circular economy aims to eliminate the sale of products in many cases
to establish a system of rental property. When the product completes its main function
returns to the company, where it is dismantled for reusing the valid parts.
• Energy from renewable sources: elimination of fossil fuels to produce the product, reuse and
recycle.
• Eco-design: considers and integrates in its conception the environmental impacts throughout
the life cycle of a product.
• Industrial and territorial ecology: establishment of an industrial organizational method in a
territory characterized by an optimized management of stocks and flows of materials, energy
and services.
Consumers and the 3 Rs rule
• First, Reduce consumption of natural resources, products, etc.
• Then, Reuse products
• Finally, only when the first two actions are not possible, Recycle.
• But how can we do it? Here are some ideas for putting the 3 Rs into practice as
consumers. To Reduce our consumption, we can:
• Limit buying use-and-throw products or those that come in voluminous packaging
• Reduce the use of plastic bags in shopping
• Use electro-domestic equipment more efficiently
• Find the products we need through the collaborative economy
• Make use of public services offered by city and town halls.
• As for the Reuse of products, it is mainly achieved by:

• Trying to repair electronic goods instead of buying new ones
• Becoming more creative in giving a new life to objects that have already been used.
• And, finally, to Recycle, we need to separate different waste correctly and throw it into
the correct container or take it down to the local recycling point. Using the 3 Rs rule
results in many benefits for society and the planet. Changing the production and
consumption model, and helping to create sustainable development and a better future
for everyone, is very much in our own hands.
APPLICATIONS OF CIRCULAR
ECONOMY TO SUSTAINABILITY
Many companies and institutions have launched initiatives based on
circular economy.
Circular economy applications
• Many companies and organizations from different economic sectors design their products thinking
about what life will these products have in the future. Such as :
• Old tires to make new roads: Redisa is a South African company that collects and recycles tires in
collaboration with the public administration. After processing, the resulting material is used to create new
roads, such as fuel for cement kilns or to make rubber mats.
• Garbage for furnishing stores: Creating construction material and furniture for shops by recycling and
redesigning garbage like plastic or electronic waste is the business of Miniwiz, a Taiwanese company that
has already furnished several Nike stores worldwide.
• Heavy recyclables to help the environment: Umicore is a Belgian company with presence in twelve
countries dedicated to recycling products such as batteries, refinery waste or metal industries to separate
sensitive and harmful elements for the environment such as cobalt, nickel, tungsten or antimony.
• Sustainable home materials: The Dutch architecture studio Sustainer Homes manufactures mobile homes
from recycled materials, saving up to 90% CO₂ emissions thanks to the incorporation of solar panels and
the use of more sustainable elements than traditional steel and concrete.
• Personal cars rental: Renting your own car when you're not using it is now possible thanks to Drivy. This
company puts in touch people who are looking for a car for certain days and owners who are not going to
use their car during that period. It is powered by the insurance company Allianz and is already present in
Germany, Holland, France and Spain.
• Clothing and accessories with recycled plastic: Ecoalf is a Spanish retail company that makes clothes and
accessories with recycled plastic. Since its creation in 2012 until today it has expanded all over the world
and is present in the most important markets of the sector.
• Private capital for the circular economy: Circularity Capital is a private equity firm that finances exclusively
emerging projects based on circular economy following environmental, social and governance criteria.
THE 3RS, 6RS AND 9RS
• The 3Rs rule In environmental education to assist in the fight
for environmental care:
• The 3 Rs
• reduce (consumption to the minimum necessary),
• reuse (what still can be used) &
• recycled (turning waste into a resource for a new life).
• The 6 Rs
• the revaluation (of resources),
• redistribution (of income) &
• (improve) relations.
• The 9 Rs
• resilience (adaptability),
• reassessment (scale value) &
• restructuring (of the economy).
Source
https://www.activesustainability.com/sustainable-development

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WASTE GENERATION AND

• Until recently, the production and

• Circular economy is inspired by

• Reduce : reduce consumption

• Reuse : reuse products

• Recycle : if first 2 options are not feasible

• As for the Reuse of products, it is mainly achieved by:

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