Why we need to move beyond the circular economy

The circular economy as we understand it today isn’t working. We need real solutions that address the root causes of our challenges.

Circular economy (CE) aims to rethink the way products are made, to reduce the amount of resources used, to reuse products and, as a last resort, to recycle them. This concept can be a useful tool, but the issue is in its implementation – mirroring other ‘sustainability’ concepts that are stripped from their original intent. They promote solutions deemed acceptable by the ones creating the issue in the first place, displacing the issues to another material, another period, another location, calling for the illusional ‘green growth’ that will save us all (or not ), without questioning if we need the products at all.

Imagine the world you want to live in 30 years from now. In your vision, do you see anti-aging or slimming creams and soft drinks; products that perpetuate old-fashioned beauty standards, the obesity crisis, or the exploitation of Global South countries? Would these products be part of the world you want to live in, simply because they are ‘circular’ or ‘sustainable’? Regardless of climate change or resource scarcity, this is not the society I want to build.

Critics argue that challenging our capitalist system is unrealistic and ignore their vested interests in maintaining the status quo. What if we were realistic about the fact that we are living in a climate emergency? Or the fact that we have been exploiting the Global South for centuries and it’s time to find real solutions that don’t rely on such power dynamics? What if being ‘unrealistic’ was the only realistic option?

So, what do we do now?

Let’s confront the elephant in the room: our insatiable consumption, particularly in the Global North, and how we perpetuate colonization of the Global South, even in our green transition. Let’s change the social norms and dare to raise our voices against the solutions that merely uphold the current system; to say our truth rather than regurgitate learned narratives. Let’s delve into concepts that challenge our addiction to growth and offer other ways to live, such as ‘degrowth’ in the Global North, Buen Vivir/Vivir Bien in Latin America or Eco-Swaraj in India . Let’s discuss it in our workplace (for those who can), on social media, and in civic forums.

Let’s actively create alternatives. Despite Thatcher’s mantra, according to Rob Hopkins , alternatives to capitalism do exist. From social centers like Disgra?a in Portugal to communities like Parque de la Papa in Peru, many people live and are building alternative lifestyles rooted in collective well-being, as reported by Ashish Kothari . This is not just theory. It can be our new reality. Only if we believe in it. Only if we invest our energy into it.