The Circular Economy Helps Give Materials a Second Life
Moving towards a circular economy helps mitigate the effects of climate change. It can be as easy as donating and re-using materials instead of throwing them away.
In response to the climate crisis, more people, societies and governments are looking at ways to reduce their impact on the world. Moving towards a circular economy will help us reduce our consumption levels and help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Implementing a circular economy involves radically shifting how we use our resources to fulfil our needs and wants. The four main principles of a circular economy include using fewer resources, using resources for longer, recycling our resources and regenerating resources. These solutions can be applied to how we eat, live, travel, and consume goods. Feeding the world in a circular economy involves supporting locals, embracing a plant-based diet, and checking for sustainable and carbon-neutral certifications when purchasing food.
Consuming and producing goods in the circular economy involves making careful consumer choices. Choosing products that aim to eradicate single-use plastic, protect animals or support workers can contribute to a circular economy. Supporting the right to repair, recycling and building secondary markets will reduce the number of items in the landfill and help give these items a second or even a new life.
To reduce material waste, students from the University of the Arts London have created mobile storage units for collecting goods. Students will be able to collect and donate materials from these bins as part of the circular economy of sharing.
The University’s Re-Use units provide a dedicated space where students can drop off unwanted scraps from their projects so other students can use them at no extra cost. Before the implementation of these bins, over 1000 tonnes of materials were going to waste from the University every year. While there wasn’t enough space at the University to dedicate an entire room to scrap materials, the students turned to donation bins.
The students have designed four Re-Use units, which can hold different materials, including hard and flexible sheet materials, stationery, paints, adhesives, tools, and other bulky materials. The units are also designed to have a variety of inserts that can be fixed inside for specific products and are tailored to the university’s courses, including textile and fashion design to furniture.
The Re-Use units will hopefully make students think twice about throwing away their unused materials. It will help eliminate landfill waste and will help give these materials a new life. Moreover, giving access to students to these free materials helps students save money on costly, new materials and helps reduce the University’s overall carbon footprint.
The Re-Use units are a great example of how easy it is to contribute to a circular economy. Hopefully, it will encourage more people and schools to give materials and items a second life.
