Back to: Introduction to Circular Economy
In this lesson, you will explore a practical example and examine how several circular economy strategies can be applied to it. This will help you understand how these strategies work in the context of a real product.
Let’s consider a simple example. Something we also use almost every day with our current lifestyle.
Laptops.
This video will give you an idea of how we can apply a few circular economy strategies to a laptop.
Let's take the example of a washing machine to understand this.
In a circular economy, the focus shifts from simply buying, using, and disposing of a washing machine, as in a linear economy, to regenerating and recovering valuable resources. This creates a continuous cycle rather than a one-time transaction, where the goal is to extend the product’s life and reduce waste.
The first four strategies pertain to the washing machine as a product.
- Optimize use through sharing – Multiple people can share a washing machine through communal subscriptions, reducing the need for more machines.
- Maintenance over ownership – Instead of owning a washing machine, consumers could access it through a rental model, with the manufacturer ensuring proper maintenance and longevity.
- Encourage reuse – Rather than discarding, used washing machines can be repaired or resold to extend their life.
- Refurbish and remanufacture – Components can be repaired, redesigned for easy disassembly, and remade into new products.
The strategies five through eight apply to the industrial cycle at the component and material levels:
- Refurbish components – Repairing parts of the washing machine to keep them in use longer.
- Remanufacture components – Replacing or fixing parts to enhance their functionality and life.
- Recycle – Breaking down the washing machine into raw materials (like plastic and metal), though this often results in lower value materials.
- Upcycle – A more selective form of recycling, like turning a washing machine lid into a new high-quality part, maintaining its value.
By using these strategies, the circular economy ensures products and materials are reused, refurbished, and recycled in a way that reduces waste and maximizes resource value, creating a more sustainable system.
It is now clear how different circular economy strategies can be applied to products or services, and how valuable these insights can be in creating more sustainable solutions.