From waste to wealth: The power of the circular economy

The linear economy initially started when we invented the steam engine. In 1694, the steam engine made it possible to mass produce things for the first time in history. It's not a coincidence that since the 1700s, CO2 emissions have been steadily increasing because of human activities of mass production. CO2 levels today are higher than at any point in at least the past 800,000 years.

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Now, introducing the circular economy! This is an economy where we stop making products that will become waste and, instead, design products and materials that can be reused again and again. Instead of consuming limited resources, circular economy products use renewable energy and materials. There are three important principles to this: 1) reduce waste and pollution, 2) reuse products and materials, and 3) help nature to regenerate. 

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Let's ground ourselves in five facts about the circular economy, which you’ll find on the MacArthur Foundation website. 

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You’ll learn that: 

• 🖌️ 80% of environmental impacts are determined at the design stage. We need to start viewing waste as a design flaw to ensure that waste and pollution aren't created in the first place

• 🌐A circular economy shifts the system by involving everyone. We can design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems

• 🌀 A circular economy can lead to a 48% reduction in CO2 by 2030! This is huge news since emissions and climate change can be so overwhelming. It's also a win-win: the consumer goods industry can save ~$700 million USD annually

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By changing the way we manage resources, make and use things, and dispose of waste, we can create a better economy that helps people, businesses, and the environment. This kind of economy can make more jobs, reduce waste and pollution, and protect the planet.

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Listen: The Story of Stuff

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Check out this short 20-minute movie about The Story of Stuff. This video's been around since 2009, and is still one of the BEST videos we’'ve seen about production and consumption. We highly recommend watching the video to understand how government and corporations worked together to create this system — it didn't happen on accident.

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Here’s what you’ll learn about the linear economy:

• ⛏️ Extraction (aka "take") — We're running out of resources. In only the three decades prior to 2010, one-third of the planet’s natural resources base have been consumed. If everyone consumed at US rates, we'd need 3 - 5 planets

• 🔩 Production (aka "make") — We are putting toxins in our workplaces, schools, and homes. In the U.S., industry admits to releasing over 4 billion pounds of toxic chemicals a year. (Key word: admits.) The linear economy has serious health repercussions. Not just for the earth but also for our own bodies

• 🚛 Distribution (a continuation of "make") — Do you wonder why, even though our products travel across the world faster than they ever have, we're paying lower prices than ever? These products aren't magically cheap. It's just that company owners externalize the costs . Instead of charging higher prices, they pay via exploiting the earth and human laborers worldwide

• 👕Consumption (the heart of take-make-waste) — The average U.S. person now consumes twice as much as they did 50 years ago

• 🗑️ Disposal (aka "waste") — According to the Story of Stuff, for every one garbage can of waste you put out on the curb, 70 garbage cans of waste were made upstream to make the junk in that one garbage can you put out on the curb

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They also have a fact sheet, so please check it out after the video if you wish!

When we incorporate circular practices in our daily lives, our choices can have a ripple effect in how we shift towards a circular and sustainable economy. You can start a plan for change with the following ideas: 

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1. Join your local Buy Nothing group. 

The Buy Nothing Project is based on a hyperlocal gift economy. It's not a marketplace for selling or trading — it's a way of giving and receiving with abundance while meeting your neighbors (even digitally, for now). This group has been our #1 source of joy (and furniture) over the past month. Other options for secondhand buying/gifting include Freecycle, FB marketplace, and Craigslist.

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2. Declutter your home and gift your things. 

You can use the Marie Kondo method and watch her Netflix show, Tidying Up. Her method helps you identify what possessions spark joy in your life and what you can let go of. Post your things on Buy Nothing so they can continue to circulate!

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3. Eliminate food waste by auditing and replanting. 

Ends+Stems has a free food waste audit so you can see how much time, money, and food your household is throwing away. It's a fun way to get kids involved! To truly make this circular, compost or re-plant your food scraps.

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4. Introduce the circular economy to your local city council member. 

Find your representative here. Plug their contact info into this email template to find out how you can make a local impact.

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5. Volunteer for BRINGiT to end single-use produce bags. 

BRINGiT's founders have had wins phasing out plastic in major stores — join them to see how you can play your part by giving your time.

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6. Check out your local tool library. 

Many big cities have tool libraries where you can rent and give tools so you don't need to buy new ones. Find your local tool library and if you don't have one, here's a comprehensive guide on starting your own!

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7. Ask your company how they plan on participating in the circular economy.

‍Feel free to reply with more info about your company/role and I can give you some ideas. For example, if you work in consulting, Big Oil, or fashion, you can make an enormous impact.

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It’s time we shift away from the take, make, waste system. Annie Leonard from the The Story of Stuff said it best—You cannot run a linear system on a finite planet indefinitely. 

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Before we go any further, it's time for you to pledge your commitment. It takes less than 30 seconds to pledge and we can bother you about it in a friendly way, so we can hold each other accountable. Pledge here!

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🎯 Action step 4 of 4: REFLECT — what can you commit to? What fresh perspectives can we look at?

Consumption isn’t the only issue. Waste is a fundamental design flaw in our current linear system. The circular system reimagines and redesigns systems that create waste. You might have also seen some criticisms of the "ugly produce" model. 

To learn more, we interviewed Rose Hartley, who worked as the Sustainability Manager at Imperfect Foods (now Head of Sustainability at Misfit Markets). They prevent “ugly produce” from going to waste - just because it looks strange, doesn't mean it should be thrown away! Check out the full article here. 

Here are 5 things we learned about Imperfect Foods:

• 🤯 Each month, Imperfect purchases around four million pounds of produce that otherwise would have been tilled under, composted, landfilled, sold to a processor or placed on the open consignment market where produce items have a higher likelihood of going to waste
  

• ✈️ When COVID disrupted business models, Imperfect stepped in to save food — they saved and sold airline snacks like cheese and popcorn from JetBlue
  

• 🚘 In 2020, Imperfect’s last mile delivery system emitted around 13,000 tCO2e less than the US average for car trips to the grocery store for the same deliveries. That’s the equivalent of taking 2,800 cars off the road for a year
  

• 👔 Five things that will help you if you're considering a career in sustainability (or making change at your workplace) are making the financial case for sustainability, making initiatives company-wide, flexing your analytical skills, writing effectively, and bringing joy and inclusion
  

• One of the best ways to take action as a consumer is to write to the companies you patronize and tell them what you want them to do. Share your values, why sustainability is important, etc

As you go forward, reflect on: What companies, habits, and practices can you include in your life to be more "circular"? You’ll be surprised at what you’ll discover. 

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‍🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 4 of 4: REFLECT.

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Check out our membership community for more resources like free weekly events with social justice experts, sustainable product discounts, pre-written email templates, a social impact job board, and in-person hangouts with new friends. Thanks for taking action with Soapbox Project!