Circular Economy For Dummies

Chapter 10

Understanding the Circular Material Lifecycle

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding the relationship between sustainability and the circular economy

Identifying how biological and technical cycles should flow

Investigating how renewable energy acts as a resource and investment

Both authors of this book would like to kindly inform you that 99.9 percent of the sustainable items you’re exposed to aren’t sustainable at all. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Denial is the first of five stages of grief, though, so please be aware that anger is coming shortly. Maybe you should take a deep breath before continuing with this chapter.

In today’s world, you can make the claim that any product you come up with will have a net-neutral or net-positive environmental impact if you present it the right way. However, the whole lifecycle of a product is rarely considered when a company claims to you that its product is good for the environment. Typically, only the product itself is addressed, not the lifecycle of that product. Paper straws, for example, are made from organic materials. Yes, they’re compostable and eliminate the need for plastic straws — but that doesn’t necessarily mean they ...