TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY The best way to understand what a circular economy means is to first understand first what a linear economy is. In a linear economy, the products or the wastes of products that enter the market are not returned or recycled back into the production process. In a circular economy however, some of the products or the wastes of some products are returned or recycled back into the production process, thus creating a loop or a circular flow of materials. Used packaging, used water and food waste are among the most common resources that could be reused and recycled. Some environmentalists are now using the terms upcycled or repurposed, which boils down to the same thing. Many consumer packages could again be used for packaging and even for construction materials. Used water could even be reprocessed to make it potable again. Food waste could be converted to organic fertilizer. Perhaps the conversion of food waste into organic fertilizer is one of the best examples of a circular economy, because it enables farmers to again produce new food from waste food, thus paving the way for regenerative agriculture. Aside from that, it could contribute to soil repair, which could be one of the major solutions for climate change mitigation. It has been proven by science that organic fertilizers can work. So why not promote it? IKE SENERES/05-10-2024