Circular economy? Does everything actually get recycled?

What is the circular economy?

A #circulareconomy (CE) is a system that eliminates waste. In other words, when products are made from materials that don't end up in landfills or oceans for years. More specifically, the circular economy deals with improving the end of life of a product and minimizing energy consumption. In other words, CE is a production and consumption model. It deals with sharing, leasing, repairing and recycling the present materials as long as it takes. The model's goal is to confront environmental issues such as waste, climate change, pollution, etc by focusing on the design-based implementation of its base principles. The principles are removing waste and pollution, circulating products and materials, and the restoration of nature. ?

The difference between circular economy and recycling

The products are made to be reused, repaired and remade from the beginning in the circular economy model. So recycling would be avoided in an ideally designed model. #Recycling is, however, a needed component of a circular economy, though should only be considered when there are no other alternatives for the CE model. For a matter of clarity, in 2017, the British Standard Institute presented a framework for implementing a circular economy for organizations called BS 8001:2017. Using this framework, business processes at the organizational level are coordinated with the principles of circular economy.

How does the circular economy work?

The circular economy is based on three principles, which include the following:

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1- Removing waste and pollution

The waste production followed by its pollution is the first aspect thing that shall be accepted before starting to reuse by-products. By accepting this fact and using new materials and technology, we can ensure that waste is not created from the start.

2- Reusing products and materials

We can design products for reuse, repair or remanufacturing. But keeping everything permanent is not the only solution. For example, extra packaging shall be designed in a way that can be recycled later. Or food waste shall be put in composting facilities.

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3- Nature restoration

There is no concept of waste in nature. Everything can be used for nourishing other things; a leaf that falls from a tree feeds the forest. By returning nutrients to the soil and other systems, we can increase natural resources.

We have to consider the whole life cycle of a product and the whole system, for sure. If the production process requires a lot of fossil fuels or polluting chemicals, there is no point in creating something that can be used over and over again. And if there is no capacity to repair, reproduce or recycle a product, we cannot call it a circular economy product.

Implementing circular economy principles

Here are some success stories from companies that evaluate their products at various stages, from initial design to end-use.

Napapijri plastic-free and recyclable jackets

Most high-performance waterproof and insulating jackets are made from a combination of materials that are difficult to separate and recycle. To overcome this problem, Napapijri, an Italian brand has simplified its design. So that the whole coat is made of one polymer. This material is durable and high-performance but can be recycled easily.

This brand gives customers 20% discounts for their future purchases. So they are encouraged to return their old clothes for recycling.

IKEA home appliances

60% of the Swedish furniture manufacturer IKEA is based on renewable materials. And almost 10% of them contain recycled materials. The brand goal is to use the CE model for all of its products. It means to use only renewable or recycled materials until 2030. The key to this strategy is for customers to use the brand's products again and again. IKEA now offers spare parts to extend the life of the goods.

Ever drop plastic-free cleaning products

Everdrop customers buy concentrated cleaning tablets and then mix them with tap water at home for kitchen, bathroom and glass spray applications. This business model reduces carbon dioxide emissions because there is no need to carry bulky containers full of liquid. Everdrop also reduces plastic waste by eliminating plastic in its reusable containers. Based in Germany, the company estimates that its products have eliminated more than 2.5 million single-use plastic bottles with its tablets.

Biodegradable tableware manufacturers

According to the European waste hierarchy, bio-based plastics can add value through organic recycling (e.g. industrial composting and anaerobic digestion) as an alternative option to reduce plastic waste and plastic pollution. These products improve efficient waste management and maintain a circular economy using fewer resources.

Due to the increasing demand for biodegradable tableware in the packaging industry, manufacturers of these products are increasing in the world. Behzist biodegradable tableware brand produces amongst the highest quality containers in Iran.

Recycling in the manufacturing industry

Recycling is beneficial in the manufacturing industry. Because the use of recycled materials, instead of raw ones, reduces the cost of production and the final price of the product. The World Economic Forum estimated in 2014 that the use of recycled materials will reduce fluctuations in the international prices of raw materials and also reduce dependence on the import of raw materials. We assume that recycling means excessive use of energy and resources. In this case, recycling is only a partial solution. What we think is "recycled" is actually "recycled". For example, a plastic milk carton can never be recycled into another carton. Rather, it becomes a lower quality product such as plastic boards, which cannot be recycled again!

The recycling issues

Apart from the above, recycling faces other problems:

- Less than 10% of recyclable plastic containers reach the recycling centre. Because it depends on the behavioural patterns of customers. They should put their garbage in the right bins for recycling.

- Even if they reach the recycling centre, the success of recycling depends on the capability and capacity of the existing facilities. For example, paper containers can damage recycling facilities due to their polyethene coating.

- Various governments and industries promote numerous efforts to maximize recycling. Some successes have also been achieved in this field. However, the amount of collected materials required for recycling has not yet been obtained.

What are the environmentally friendly options?

Eco-friendly products refer to products that do not harm the environment during the production, use and disposal process. Environmentally friendly products help to reduce pollution in the environment. In many countries, environmentally friendly products are made from recycled materials. These types of products all have eco-friendly labels so that they can be easily recognized. People still think that living an eco-friendly lifestyle is difficult. But in fact, many environmental products can help people to easily reduce their waste volume and do less harm to the environment.