What is the Circular Economy?
Out in nature, resources grow, are consumed, and eventually return to the environment to begin the cycle once again. Monkeys don’t own garbage cans brimming with expired nuts and seeds, nor are there landfills full of dilapidated materials from bird nests. The key word here is cycle; nature exemplifies interconnectedness and sustainability via this closed-loop system. There is no point at which materials entirely lose their utility. If humans changed consumption patterns to mirror the structure of these natural systems—a concept known as biomimicry—we would be taking important steps towards greater sustainability ourselves.
However, consumerism, as we know it to exist, employs a linear (“cradle to grave”) framework. Resources are extracted in order to manufacture goods, these items enter the marketplace, and are then purchased, utilized, and disposed of. This process results in approximately 2.12 billion tons of worldwide waste production each year, with most products reaching this final destination within 6 months of the original purchase date. Granted, we have it a little harder than the natural world, in that we use a range of “technical materials” which cannot simply degrade back into nature. Still, proponents of a circular economy (“cradle to cradle”) hope to alter this system, combatting our cognitively engrained throw-away culture and instead keeping materials in use for as long as possible. So how do we adapt our linear system to be less wasteful and close the loop?
Circular Economy Frameworks
There are a few key frameworks that prioritize this transition, one being the performance economy model. Harking back to the old milkman model of the 1950s—where reusable milk bottles were delivered to people’s homes, and then picked up again to be refilled—this model entails goods being sold as services. This system breaks down norms of product ownership, and favors renting or leasing products instead. This way, consumers have access to products as needed (i.e. the desired performance), while sellers can actively maintain and extend the item’s viability. Products, at the end of their original lives, are not thrown away, but are rather refurbished or reconstituted into a new item, and reintroduced into the market.
Another version of understanding the circular economy is via the ReSOLVE framework, developed by consulting firm McKinsey & Company. This model focuses on six different concepts that promote lengthened material lifespans and waste reduction: regenerate, share, optimize, loop, virtualize, and exchange. Embracing these methodologies helps to maximize product sustainability, from initial conceptualization to design to maintenance. Airbnb, for example, facilitates home sharing and lowers the need for increased resource extraction for the development of new hotels and lodging. And Patagonia, which discounts and resells slightly used and unwanted Patagonia items through its Worn Wear program, is a prime example of looping. The organization TerraCycle has introduced a program as well, called Loop, which allows consumers to purchase a whole range of products and return the durable packaging back to the company to be refilled and sold again.
Application in Schools
For schools interested in getting involved in the circular economy, one of the most promising pathways is via the agricultural sector. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, one of the leading organizations amplifying the circular economy movement, identifies the importance of regenerative food production, which they define as “any production techniques that improve the overall health of the local ecosystem and create other systematic benefits.” This concept can manifest in a variety of ways, such as organic farming practices or promoting biodiversity, and schools have the purchasing power to ensure that their food suppliers take these environmentally significant steps.
“the point is this; there is potential here to think creatively and give traditional ‘waste products’ a second life”
Additionally, according to the World Wildlife Foundation, US school cafeterias waste 530,000 tons of food each year. Schools have the capacity to take waste reduction into their own hands: for example, investing in an anaerobic digester, which both sustainably disposes of food waste and generates biogas to power another building process. Food waste and by-products can be given a second life in other ways as well; the pasta company Barilla launched the “CartaCrusca” project, which uses bran by-products as material in their food packaging. Another organization, Genecis Bioindustries, works to turn food waste into a whole range of new biomaterials. These examples may be a bit out of reach for schools, but the point is this; there is potential here to think creatively and give traditional “waste products” a second life.
For schools interested in taking actionable steps to adopt circular economy principles, here are a few ideas:
Look into implementing a composting program for your cafeteria’s food waste, and potentially even using that compost in a school garden/local urban farm
Inquire about how sustainable your vendors are-- encourage purchasing of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) products, or using more sustainable packaging options
See if there is any machinery on campus you might be able to lease rather than own (kitchen appliances, copy machines, etc.)
Think about creative ways to repurpose waste streams--for example, practicing food recovery after school events by donating leftovers to a local soup kitchen
Become an ambassador for circular economy education, both for faculty and students, in your school-- host informative workshops, or encourage administrators to diversify the school’s investment portfolio to embrace sustainability and the circular economy
For any institution, it is deeply worthwhile to take action that aligns with organizational values. Industry professionals are looking to expand on sustainable concepts, from leasing clothing to washing machines, and there will be opportunities to embrace them in the coming years, if you only commit yourself to doing so.
For more information on circular economy, visit the Ellen MacArthur Foundation website, or check out the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart.
By Casey Maslan, a recent graduate from Boston College pursuing a career in sustainability consulting, and guest writer for Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants.
