Humans produce way too much waste. We make products, consume them and then chuck them away. We’re running out of resources to make new things with, and we’re producing too much toxic waste.

The circular economy is a model for how we can change this entire system, inspired by nature 🌱. In nature, landfills doesn’t exist because one species’ waste is another’s food, and nutrients return to the soil when animals and plants die. The circular economy has these three goals:

• Eliminate waste and pollution 🚫
• Circulate products and materials ♻️
• Regenerate nature 🌏

So what does this actually look like? Think about how many smart phones you’ve had over the years (yeah, we feel you 🫣). In a circular economy, phones would be designed so they could be repaired more easily. And when they stopped working they would be simple to take apart so that the precious metals and materials inside them could be reused in another product, or returned safely to nature. Crazy right?

Source (some paraphrasing): National Geographic.

Nature’s recycling where organic waste (think orange peels, fallen leaves, egg shells, and chicken bones) are transformed into a nutrient-rich soil that can be used by other plants and animals.

This is how we currently think about waste in our society, where we make products, consume them and then chuck them away. This is a problem because we produce a lot of toxic waste and will eventually run out of resources if we are throwing everything away. The good news is we have a solution – the circular economy (see above).

Recyling is a way of circulating valuable resources 🧻, without having to keep going back to the source🌲. Especially when those resources are rare or damage the environment when we extract them, recycling is key – our computers contain a lot of rare metals – so remember, recycle that e-waste! 💻

The best way to start is at the source. We can reduce waste by buying less, reusing things more than once, or repurposing something we don’t use to give it a new life.

Lots of waste comes from accepting things we don’t actually need or want. While we can’t be perfect, we can be more intentional. Saying no to the small things can make a big difference over time!

Lots of things we throw away can have multiple uses. Maybe that old pair of socks with holes is just perfect for dusting. Time to get creative…

Reusing things we already have is a great way to prevent waste. While recycling is valuable – this is even better. Think glass containers, boxes, or old rags for cleaning…or check out our hacks for more ideas.

Why own when you can share? Sharing is not only more sustainable, but also cheaper in the long term – think tools or fancy clothes.

We can think about how we get rid of our trash using the waste hierarchy. It puts the different ways we deal with waste in order of preference, from the worst ways – landfill – at the bottom of the hierarchy, to the best ways at the top. The best way to deal with waste is by preventing it in the first place, either through reuse, repurposing, or just not buying something in the first place. Second place is recycling, and last, of course, comes landfill.

Creative reuse, often by changing an old or underused item to allow it to have a new function of greater value.