Waste is a resource...

We hear a lot about circular economy. Whenever we hear about the word ‘economy’ we think it has nothing to do with us.

Economy is something we leave for the governments and businesses to deal with it. But when you think about it each individual is part of the economy. And especially when it comes to circular economy.

So what is circular economy?

It is an economic system based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products, experts explain.

Now this is especially important - continuing products in a sustainable or environmentally friendly way.

Circular economy also means keeping wastage to minimum. Some companies have been taking it up in a serious manner. The concept is attractive for companies because it makes economic sense.

But what about individuals?

We are different because we want to keep up trends and promos.

How many times have you bought things just because it was on sale? How many clothes are there in our wardrobe that haven’t been worn for months or years? And this is from personal experience. When we shop impulsively most of the time we really don’t think on long-term basis.

The topic of circular economy came up while attending the opening ceremony of ISWA 2023 (International Solid Waste Association) World Congress - Global Action Towards a Net - Zero Future.

The objective is not just about the government achieving this objective by 2050, it is also about us individually.

We order food for take away and we have contributed to waste. The packages are becoming fancy and creative. But they are in your hands just for few minutes. And soon it would end up in the trash. Our contribution doesn’t not end with dropping them in the bin. The waste management company would collect it and the process goes on.

Is the waste disposed off in a landfill?

From the point of collection we do not think about much. Sometimes the waste is just laid around the bin or adjacent.

Once I came across a lady who collected cans as a side hustle. At that point there was sympathy towards her as she was a bit elderly. Now when I think of her I am quite proud of her because she found a need, a waste that become a resource to her and most importantly she was also doing a service by segregating the waste and what she collected is going to be recycled. The waste which others were throwing away was actually being converted to wealth for her.

Buy a perfume and you are stuck with the packaging material. One of the perfumers had said, “If you bring back the bottle for refill I will give it to you for half the price.”

That was a good sales pitch... not only did he make me feel that I got a good deal but took the burden of feeling the guilt of wasting the package.

So would glass and metal bottles come back to use and become popular again.

Was watching few goats at a picnic spot and they came in a group with a purpose in mind and after studying the surroundings one of the first things they picked up were tissue papers. Now is that healthy for goats? Not sure because after all it must have gone through some chemical processing, but the goat didn’t spare a thought and one was not adventurous enough to pull it away from her, which would have been futile anyway. But the tissue papers disappeared and they wiped the area clean.

Environmentally we have been aware about the usage of plastic bags and it’s impact on wildlife. But now it has to not just make economic sense, because if we are to consume reusables imagine the money everyone would save.

At the conference there was a video from Prof Muhammed Yunus, Nobel Laureate from Bangladesh. He presented his concept of three zeroes. He said it could start with five youngsters and groups of them and the idea will expand in all directions.

What are the three zeros?

A world of three zeros will consist of the new economics of zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon emissions. So can you and I zero in too? We can start with the thought and then move into action.