WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?
You may have heard about the term ‘circular economy’ since sustainability has gained popularity, but what is it? To explain, let’s start with what a linear economy is - it is how conventional products are manufactured, where resources are taken from the earth to make it and then when it comes to the end of its’ life, it is thrown away, which creates waste. A circular economy is the opposite of this - where the economic, environmental, and social impacts of a product are considered with a focus on reducing waste.
At KEEPER Denim we have put together a list of the 3 principles of a circular economy:
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ELIMINATE WASTE
As mentioned above, a conventional economy results in a large amount of waste ending up in landfill. The problem with this type of economy is it’s not sustainable as the earth resources are not infinite. The solution to this, lies in the design of all products, we must ask the question – what will happen to this product once it reaches the end of its life? A circular economy is based on the idea that there is no such thing as waste. Instead of disposing of a product once it has comes to the end of its use - you can recycle it, repair it, or refurbish it - just to name some alternatives.
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CIRCULATE PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS
This second principle focuses on keeping products or materials in use, rather than disposing of them. The circular economy considers both technical cycles (eg. repair, reuse, recycle) and biological cycles (eg. composting). For example, if an item of clothing can no longer be worn due to wear and tear, the fabric can be re-used for an alternative use such as cleaning rags from cotton t-shirts.
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NATURE REGENERATION
When we make the switch from a conventional linear economy, to a circular one, we move the focus from depleting the earth of its’ natural resources, to giving back to the earth and regenerating nature. For example, in the agricultural industry, circular farming practices would focus on maintaining the quality of the soil and increasing biodiversity.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?
REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
With the focus on minimising the exploitation of the earth’s natural resources and a focus on renewable energy, greenhouse gas emissions will reduce.
IMPROVED SOIL QUALITY
with the composting process, nutrients can be returned to the soil. In addition, when circular farming practices are adopted, the quality of the soil is maintained.
SAVED RESOURCES
The circular economy focuses on reducing waste ending up in landfill and prolonging the life of materials and products, so less resources are needed to produce new materials and products.
We hope you enjoyed reading this KEEPER Denim blog post and learnt the difference between a conventional linear economy and a circular economy!