Building Revolutions

02. Why create a circular economy?

We have an uncertain future because our economy runs from a manufacturing perspective. We take a finite number of resources, we make something out of them and ultimately, at the end of their life, we throw them away.

Dame Ellen MacArthur

Population growth and the escalating demand for consumer products are driving up the demand for resources. It is predicted that, by 2030, three billion people who are currently living in poverty will join the middle-class level of consumption, which would create a corresponding surge in the demand for resources. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, even the more conservative projections suggest that demand for natural resources will increase by at least a third.