HOW TO CREATE A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
BY CALLIE R .
Have you ever heard of a circular economy ? It is a hot topic in the world of sustainability , something everyone should know about . The idea is that everything produced should go back into the production cycle at some point , and the collection of all raw / virgin material should stop . This includes the tapping of raw materials such as mining for rare metals to produce cell phones , as well as growing and picking cotton . The world ’ s population is rapidly growing , along with its amassing waste and pollution . The current system of starting production from new won ’ t sustain us much longer .
Each production cycle needs to be rethought in the design phase , and ways found that the product can either be made from recycled goods or easily collected and recycled after its usage . One scheme is called “ eco-design ” and means that the product is meant to last forever and can be easily repaired ( if need be ) over and over again . A second solution is only making exactly what is needed or ordered . For example , Teemill produces t-shirts for companies right when they are ordered in order to prevent an excess supply of clothing that will never be bought or worn . In addition , this company allows for customers to return their shirts when they are done wearing them , and they reuse the shirts to make new shirts . This is possible because the shirts are made of 100 % cotton . Blends are harder to break down because , for example , cotton and polyester require two different means in order to break them down for reuse .
etc .). Also , when you buy your clothes , try to buy non-blends and then donate them , sell them , send them back to the company , or recycle them when you are done wearing them . The best thing you can do is buy second-hand clothing . If you are against buying second-hand , make sure you are buying clothes that have a long life span and that are worth repairing and donating .
Remember to recycle your electronics as well . Not disposing of your electronics properly leads to massive amounts of e-waste and contamination ! In addition , recycling / selling back your electronics can allow for phone companies to repurpose the rare metals inside ! Business Insider has reported that Apple recovered $ 40 million in gold in 2015 through recycling iPhones and computers .
The change starts with you — so hold yourself accountable ! The earth and factory workers around the world will thank you for it .
The best way you can live a “ circular ” life is by doing the following . First , research a few of your favorite clothing companies and see what they ’ re doing to produce sustainably , and then make a pact with yourself to only shop at companies that are transparent ( they list their factories on their websites ) and actively devoting themselves to producing sustainably ( they are part of a campaign , e . g ., Clean Clothes Campaign , Fair Wear Foundation , Cotton for Africa ,
22 Special Theme : Decade for Action
How to Create a Circular Economy