Circular Economy

ecodisno Written by: Andrés García Alonso

 What is circular economy?

“Take-make-consume and dispose” this is our pattern of growth in a linear economy, in which we are now, but this road can’t be sustainable, because the natural resources that we use to follow this path, are finite.

“Re-using, repairing, refurbishing and recycling”, this is the idea behind of circular economy, what used to be regarded as “waste” can be turned into a resource. All resources need to be more efficiently throughout their life cycle.

This is not only a request of natural organizations, and ecologists, also EU joined with them, with Europe 2020 Strategy, that promotes concrete actions, to follow them, in which includes:

  • boosting recycling and preventing the loss of valuable materials
  • creating jobs and economic growth
  • showing how new business models, eco-design and industrial symbiosis can move us towards zero-waste
  • reducing greenhouse emissions and environmental impacts.

These measures, are in the direction to obtain, the EU on a circular economy, based on a recycled society, that reduces the waste production, and manage them as resources.

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Recently, Janez Potocnik, Environmental European Commissioner, said that ‘it is a necessary change for Europe into an efficient economy, on the waste. We have to make sure that we use our products, foods from the selected materials to make them use another time again, on the circular economy, as the products and subproducts are the raw materials to make new ones’.

The EU estimates that 630.000 millions of Euros might be potentially saved if these points are implemented within member states, also creation of 180.000 new jobs

Circular economy, is an economic concept that includes a sustainable development and which target group is the goods’ production and services at the same time. To reduce the consumption, the raw materials, water, and energy sources are based on “close the cycle of life”, which we can call a circular economy.

For someone the raw material from the used product might be just a waste, but for someone else it is highly considered as a resource, a good which is designed to be rebuild and implemented in our economy again and again.