Circular living
The circular economy is like a big recycling system where we try to use things over and over again instead of throwing them away.
For the past 250 years, economies in the developed world have been based on a linear model of continuous growth, drawing on the world’s natural resources to make our lives healthier, wealthier and more comfortable
But our world is already showing the stresses and strains of this “take, make, waste” model. That’s why we’re moving towards a circular economy, based on long-life products that can be renewed, reused, repaired, upgraded and refurbished to preserve precious natural resources, protect habitats and reduce pollution.
This is a profound change in how we think about growth and economic development and will affect everything from product design to finance, from technology and innovation to public policy and the structure of society.
For more on what’s happening in an Irish context, visit www.circular.ie.