Thought Leadership
Benefits of the circular
economy
Zain Group recently published its annual
thought leadership report, The Circular Econ-
omy: Embedding Sustainable Solutions in
a bid to Save the Planet. In it, the company
details how the circular economy fits into
helping to address some of the devastating
impacts of climate change. This type of eco-
nomic model is essentially based on the prin-
ciples of designing out waste and pollution;
keeping products and materials in use; and
regenerating natural systems. The planet is clearly at a point where it cannot withstand the waste
generated from human activity. Today, people all over the world are
producing an astounding 3.6 million tons of solid waste per day. It
is estimated that by 2025, this amount will reach 6.1 million tons
per day.
Current linear economic models utilize raw
and non-renewable materials to create prod-
ucts and once the product is consumed it
becomes waste, which is neither efficient nor
sustainable. The negative impact of ineffi-
cient economic models is real and growing. Uncollected waste and waste directed to open landfills is extremely
common across the Middle East, though the current state of digiti-
zation offers compelling solutions to help address the negative im-
pact of excess waste, with the emergence of nascent technologies
such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and the Internet
of Things (IoT).
Zain’s latest report explores the definition of the circular economy
and its various dynamics, comparing it to the linear economy model.
The insight also highlights risks of the linear model, while providing
views on the critical role technology plays in the circular economy
and identifies initiatives undertaken by Zain in this regard.
Examples of E-waste
TVs
Cables
Computer
Monitors
Digital,
Video,
Cameras
Keyboards
Printers
Today, people all over the world are producing an astounding 3.6 million tons of solid waste per day. It is estimated that by 2025, this
amount will reach 6.1 million tons per day
4