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Can We Adopt a Circular Economy?
Can We Adopt a Circular Economy?
In the world today, we use materials in a linear fashion. We harvest materials, we use those materials to make products, and then those products eventually become waste. Over the last few decades, it’s become abundantly clear that this current system just isn’t sustainable. What we need instead is a system that does away with waste altogether. This is where a circular economy comes in.
A circular economy defined
A circular economy is called such because the materials that we harvest from the earth and turn into products for consumption will eventually be reused, meaning that everything goes around in a circle. In principle, this sounds a lot like recycling, but there are some key differences. While recycling aims to deal with the materials left over at the end of a product’s lifecycle, a circular economy is looking to eliminate waste at the design phase by pre-planning what will happen to the materials once it’s no longer usable. Perhaps the product might be able to be dismantled into recyclable segments, or it could have a different use entirely.
What can we do to adopt a circular economy?
- Rethinking product design: Sustainable product design is absolutely essential to bringing about a circular economy. Before a product is even made, we need to start thinking about what will happen to the product once it’s no longer usable, as this will ultimately influence what materials are used and how the product is actually put together.
Rethinking product design also means that we need to put an end to single-use and seasonal items. Fast fashion is probably one of the biggest offenders here. We’re encouraged to buy new clothes each season to stay on trend and, to make sure that we can afford it, these clothes are often of very low quality. Investing in higher quality clothes that are built to last is much more in line with circular thinking.
- A culture of sharing: A sharing culture isn’t necessarily a new thing, as sites like Gumtree, OLIO and Shpock have existed for a very long time, but in order for a circular economy to take hold, they need to become more widely used. These sorts of sites allow people to easily sell or give away items that they no longer need, whether that be furniture, clothing or even food.
But a sharing culture isn’t just about passing on goods after we’ve finished with them, it’s about coming to the realisation that we don’t actually need to own half as much as we think we do. Appliances, food and lifts can all be shared, meaning that we can really start to minimise our personal belongings.
- A focus on repair and maintenance: A circular economy is all about trying to squeeze as much value as possible out of the product life cycle, which is why maintenance and repair are so important. And while maintenance and repair services exist, our attitude towards them needs to change. Many of us want to ditch a product at the first sign of wear, but this is often completely unnecessary. If we train ourselves to have a repair and maintain mindset, the life cycle of most products will be extended greatly.
Brown Recycling is one of Stoke-on-Trent’s leading waste management companies. We have a passion for all things sustainability and love helping our local customers manage their waste in a more eco-friendly way. If you need some help keeping your waste under control, why not give us a call?
Got any burning questions?
You can ask us a question online using our contact form. Simply provide your name, email (purely for confirmation purposes) and the details of your enquiry, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Why choose Browns Recycling?
- Disposal of waste by experts
- Safer & cleaner for the environment
- Projects of any size taken on
What our clients say about us
“We are hugely grateful to Brown Recycling for their help on DIY SOS: The Big Build in Stoke. Dave and the team went above and beyond to clear the site and then bring in other suppliers who also supported this great cause. Thanks to the generosity of countless suppliers and volunteers, Stoke now has a community centre that will support its residents for many years to come.”
Read more testimonials
Waste Management
- Disposal of waste by experts
- Safer & cleaner for the environment
- Projects of any size taken on
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Excellent service on a recent Hazardous waste removal from one of our sites. Paddy and Stacey wasted no time in arranging for our waste to be removed in surprisingly quick turnaround. 10/10...
1 week ago -
Hired a skip to clear a huge pile of garden waste. Arrived on time, picked up bang on time, dead easy to book and pay. Courteous, helpful drivers. Job done! just as it should be, without drama. Highly...
1 month ago -
Very professional service and the customer service team are very helpful and knowledgeable. We have been working with browns and using their services for a number of years and cannot fault it. Very co...
1 month ago -
Terry was very efficient. We will use brown for skips again...
2 months ago -
Had problems with getting the skip into our drive but Browns persisted and 3 trucks later the 3rd driver got the job done. Incredible service from a very professional and competent company. Special me...
2 months ago -
Really efficient service, competitive price and they dropped off skip exactly where we asked them to. Easy to book a skip over the weekend using their online booking system. Very helpful when we nee...
3 months ago -
I ordered a skip at short notice and it arrived as requested. Having finished with it early Terry came and collected it very promptly which freed up the driveway. A Good service and reasonably priced....
3 months ago -
Brilliant service - I booked for the wrong date, but Browns were really helpful and changed the booking at the last minute....
4 months ago -
We chose Brown Recycling because out of the firms we rang the lady on the end of the phone knew exactly what we needed and was very helpful. ( Yes you can place a skip in a council paying car park) A...
5 months ago -
A big thanks to Phil, always helpful and polite when collecting cardboard, nothing too much trouble ....
5 months ago -
Christie has been great in providing us with a total review of our waste services on site. If you are looking at reviewing your waste service then I would highly recommend that you reach out to her as...
6 months ago -
really fast and a easy process. Thank you Christie...
6 months ago -
Christie has been most helpful and informative whilst booking a new service for plastic and general waste recycling. Would recommend :)...
6 months ago -
Christie was very helpful, she managed the whole process very efficiently and met our expectations. We now have the service and commercial offering we need for our business waste. We would recommend...
9 months ago -
Quick and really reliable service.... was a pleasure dealing with Christie!!!...
9 months ago -
Requested amendment to current waste collection. Very helpful and was able to answer all queries and adapt to our requirements. Definitely recommend...
10 months ago -
We had a visit today from Mark and Andy dropping off our new waste bin. I would just like to acknowledge their outstanding customer service. They disposed of the built up waste that we had gathered si...
11 months ago -
Full marks to Andy and Mark. Went above and beyond today and would highly recommend them to anybody looking to recycle large quantities of waste. Professional, efficient and very approachable...
11 months ago -
First time using Browns, they were clear, efficient and got the job done. Will continue to use their services....
1 year ago -
New to sorting a bin service for our new business. Christie and Brown Recyling has been great with helping us select the right type of bin required as well as not overspending for the sake of it. He...
1 year ago -
Super easy to set up a long term skip hire, Christie made things nice and clear and the prices were good too! everything was ready to go really quick, highly recommend Browns...
1 year ago