Rethinking waste
Our waste is a serious issue. At the moment our consumption follows a linear model in which we take, make and throw away.
A single person in the EU consumes 15 tonnes of resources each year, 5 tonnes of which are simply thrown away.
Landfill and pollution problems resulting from the disposal of our things are making it increasingly clear that there is no 'away'. And it's not just a resource problem. A whopping 40% of our personal carbon emissions comes from the things we buy.
Instead of the throw away and replace culture we've become used to, could we rethink progress and adopt a return and renew culture?
In a circular economy goods are designed and manufactured so that we can easily recover their parts and materials at the end of their life, allowing us to use those materials over and over. And before their end of life goods are used and reused as much as possible.
Patagonia - a case study
Patagonia are an outdoor clothing company trying to follow a circular model by sourcing long lasting fabrics and ensuring their garments are really well made. Down the line, their customers can choose to sell their unwanted and worn items back to Patagonia for their second-hand marketplace org get them repaired by the company's team of repairers. Their advertising even encourages people not to buy too many of their products. If one will do - then one is all you need.
