The Circular Economy

Photo by Danny Smith

A ceramic lamp next to my favorite reading chair was broken beyond repair and needed to be replaced. A few days ago I decided to strip parts off the old lamp and make a new lamp myself. I used a piece of driftwood that I had found on the shore of the lake and mounted it on a piece of scrap lumber in my garage. By reusing or refurbishing something old in a creative way, I did not have to purchase something new. I recycled the old parts that were still useable. Why can’t we do the same thing in our manufacturing processes or in a wide range of business? When we do, we not only save money, but we also become more sustainable. This is what a “Circular Economy” is all about.

There is much talk these days about the “Circular Economy” verses a “Linear Economy“. In a “Linear Economy” we extract resources to manufacture goods and then dispose of those things at the end of their life, typically in a landfill. In a “Circular Economy” we recycle, refurbish, or reuse materials, products, and parts to the extent practicable in lieu of extracting additional resources. As a boy, I remember older adults who survived the Great Depression describing how they continuously repaired everything to survive and press on. Nothing was wasted. I observed the same things in East Africa in my 20s. While the term “Circular Economy” was not yet coined in their day, it was certainly their practice.

Yet, there are obstacles to overcome in achieving a Circular Economy. Many products are simply not designed to be recycled or refurbished or worse, products are intentionally designed to last a set number of years – this is known as “planned obsolescence”.  For example, we have a nice stainless steel refrigerator (I will not mention the brand) that died when it was about 8 years old. The cause of death was a small circuit board mounted in close proximity to the refrigerator’s exhaust heat. The repairman replaced the board, but unbeknownst to the manufacturer, he extended the wires and mounted the new board further away from the heat. It has been running great ever since. The refrigerator, along with several other new appliances of the same brand were purchased as part of a major home renovation. Within a few months of the refrigerator’s death, our washing machine died, our dishwasher died, and an icemaker died, so I called the President of the brand to ask for an explanation. The explanation was that all of these products were designed to last about 8 to 10 years. That is sad. Gone are the days when appliances might last for decades. On a more positive note, my 15 year old four wheel drive vehicle, that has transported me and my kayaks, canoe, bicycles, and deer through mud, snow and ice, just reached 200,000 miles yesterday. Why can’t we have more products with such durability? Durability, repairability, and long life-spans must compliment a Circular Economy. While higher quality and more durable products usually cost more, society must learn that quality costs less in the long run.

Photo by Danny Smith

Many companies are hiring a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) to lead their Circular Economy efforts. This involves redesigning products to make them last longer; designing products that can be easily refurbished or upgraded; designing products to facilitate recycling the raw materials within them; and designing products to minimize energy and water footprints. Consumers, clients, and shareholders are demanding increased sustainability performance. We should be able to sell higher quality and transform our current “throw-away” society. This can be a win-win-win scenario for consumers, business, and the environment. 

I view it as being a wise steward of the Lord’s Creation.