Importance of the Circular Economy

Serena Cuoghi
Title of Professor of Biology

The development of the world economic system, driven by the industrial growth of the last centuries, has generated as a result a strong environmental impact due to the incessant exploitation of natural resources used as raw materials, and the continuous accumulation of waste produced solids, under a linear economic operation scheme that has conditioned human behavior towards consumption and disposal permanent.

In response to this, the need arises to formulate new approaches that allow more efficient management of the resources, also becoming aware of what this action represents for the survival of life on Earth human. As a potential solution, the British economists Pearce and Turner, motivated by their deep concern about the ecological impact, presented at the end of the 80's a proposal more coherent as a new economic model, through which to maximize the use of existing resources while minimizing waste, which they called economics circular.

A model for sustainability

The transformation of the economic paradigm based on the continuous exploit - manufacture - throw away, is a process that still has a long time to come to be fully assumed in each of the areas and on a global scale, however, its viability has been demonstrated in many regions and industries, through circular practices that have driven the creation of policies and strategies towards their promotion and implementation, which in turn has stimulated the development of research and technology oriented to the solution of environmental problems, the reprocessing of materials and the industrial and social adaptation for their adoption.

the necessary conditions

Despite the growing willingness to take action under the circular economy scheme, compliance with certain characteristics is required for its implementation through large scale: 1) changes in product designs under an approach that allows their reuse, repair and recycling, which implies designing durable products and detachable; 2) creation of infrastructures for the collection, classification and recycling of various materials; 3) development of educational programs aimed at raising awareness about the benefits and practices of the circular economy, thereby allowing the change in consumer behavior and production; 4) establishment of cooperative alliances between governments, companies, organizations and communities for the creation and promotion of actions that favor it; 5) establishment and promotion of promotional and regulatory policies that encourage reuse, recycling and the adoption of circular practices; and 6) greater research and development of innovative technologies that allow the remanufacturing of materials.

changes for change

The progressive achievement of the implementation of this economic dynamic enables the resolution of a multiplicity of problems, generating the favorable conditions for the conservation of natural resources, by making possible the extension of the useful life of products and the reuse of materials, reducing the need for extraction of new resources, as occurs for example with the metallurgical industry, through the recovery and recasting of various metals, mainly iron, aluminum and copper.

Another solution that would make it possible to reverse the impact that stimulates climate change is the reduction of waste and, therefore, the levels of pollution associated with it, coupled with the potential decrease in the need to manufacture new products, reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from manufacturing activity highly industrialized.

Regarding the direct benefits on the most human interests, the circular economy encourages the creation of new economic opportunities, which can allow labor independence. of people, using the remanufacturing of materials to generate new products, such as those created through art, crafts and handicrafts, In addition to stimulating the development of technical areas by offering specialized services in product repair, with greater emphasis on technology, which It allows to increase the efficiency in the management of resources, thanks to the reduction in the dependency of a centralized source to obtain the service or the necessary spare part, This aspect also influences the reduction of production costs, coupled with the lower costs generated among the benefits of recycling inserted at some point in the chain. of production.

As a greater incentive, the extreme urgency in which we find ourselves regarding the execution of actions on a global scale that allow the reversal of the damages caused to the environment, also offers the media possibility of improving the corporate image of companies and projects that focus on the adoption of circular practices, raising their reputation as they add a greater commitment to the sustainability of the planet and the sustainability of their results.