Towards a zero-waste circular economy
A “circular economy” is what’s often mentioned when talking about sustainable e-waste management. But what exactly is a circular economy, and what does it entail?
There isn’t a universally accepted definition of the circular economy thus far, but according to Kirchherr et al. (2017, p. 224),
“A circular economy describes an economic system that is based on business models which replace the ‘end-of-life’ concept with reducing, alternatively reusing, recycling, and recovering materials in production/distribution and consumption processes, thus operating at the micro level (products, companies, consumers), meso level (eco-industrial parks), and macro level (city, region, nation and beyond), with the aim to accomplish sustainable development, which implies creating environmental quality, economic prosperity, and social equity, to the benefit of current and future generations.”
Whew. That was quite a mouthful, wasn’t it? It may seem complicated, but it’s actually simpler than you’d think. Much as its name suggests, a circular economy involves the circulation of resources through the economy from producer to consumer, and then back to producers again. It recovers and recycling resources at the end of the lifespan of a product, reusing the same resources in the production of newer products, and so on. This is viewed as the most ideal, sustainable model to tackle things like e-waste and electronic products, since it helps to reduce waste significantly.
The difference between a linear economy and a circular economy (Towards Zero Waste, n.d.).
Extended producer responsibility (EPR)-driven schemes are one of the ways in which countries have started the transition towards achieving a zero-waste circular economy. We’ll talk more about EPR in a future post. Other endeavours also include research and development (R&D) programmes, such as the Closing the Waste Loop Initiative that helps to facilitate collaborations between research institutes and private sector businesses. These help to introduce new and creative ideas in approaching the e-waste challenge.
Now that we’ve learned what a circular economy actually is, keep its definition in mind—we’ll be hearing the term again many more times in the future weeks to come!
References
Kirchherr, J., Reike, D., & Hekkert, M. (2017). Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 127, 221-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.09.005.
Towards Zero Waste. (n.d.). Circular Economy. Retrieved 21 March 2022, from https://www.towardszerowaste.gov.sg/circular-economy/.