Linear to Circular Economy At An Individual Level

A circular economy is an economic model of production and consumption of goods which involves any of the aspects – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Remanufacture.

This means, when a product reaches its end of life, some or all its resources can be utilized. This is against the idea of a linear model, which generally considers the product as a “waste” when it does not serve its purpose and will be considered un-usable. In other words, circular economy tries to minimise the resources which cannot be utilized anymore. 

The transition from a linear to circular model has attracted attention from many economies all over the world. This transition is especially relevant in the current time due to the ever-increasing demand of finite resources. It is well known how the greenhouse gases from the wastes have a significant hand to contribute to climate change. 

However, if these wastes can be recycled, they not only reduce the emissions, but also add value as secondary resources. Moreover, extracting precious resources has become increasingly energy intensive, which ultimately leads to more emissions, as most of the current share of energy today comes from unclean sources. Thus, this model has many economic benefits, for example, using this waste to save costs to produce new goods efficiently, instead of extracting new resources. 

There have been many policies framed to promote this transition in many countries. This article focuses on countries generating a large amount of waste like India, as this concept can be potentially imbibed for better outcomes. In India, the 2022-23 Budget formulated waste management rules for battery, plastic, and e-waste to promote a circular model. Target waste disposal standards have been set for the stakeholders to increase the responsibility for the goods produced. 

However, the end-goal of India’s circular economy mission is challenging due to the gaps in implementation of these policies. Some problems include supply chain limitations, lack of incentives, complex recycling processes and lack of information to participate. There is a need for the government to study these issues and build a detailed framework to sustain this model. However, I feel that there is another key factor to promote circularity which is not well exploited. 

Apart from the efforts from the government, there is a strong necessity to understand the motivation for incorporating a circular lifestyle at lower levels. It is high time for us to look at all the resources thrown into the trash bin and question ourself if any of them can be utilized or disposed better. For a typical household, most of the waste comes from food, combustibles, and plastic products. The first step is to dispose them in the appropriate bins as this can save a lot of time and effort to begin their processing for reuse. 

Unfortunately, there is no proper mechanism yet for collecting segregated wastes from households in India, but this can be achieved only when people understand its importance, raise their voice and cooperate with their actions. There have been initiatives from some organizations and conscious individuals to understand the importance of this waste. To mention a few, several companies have installed e-waste bins and places to collect papers to recycle. Few malls have started collecting used clothes, with an incentive in some cases to encourage users. 

However, due to the scarcity of such collection points, they may not be always accessible to everyone. So, it is important to keep our eyes and ears open to these initiatives around us and try to support them which will help to sustain our own future. Another interesting aspect of a circular economy is that it can unleash creativity with resources. There have been many shops selling recycled products, which have attracted many conscious people to prefer them. There have been many works of art with used items, which otherwise would end up without any use. 

Also, at an individual level, a small thought as simple as reusing household items like paper, pen will help when several hands in the country join. The mindset of thinking about every item being thrown in the bin may spark novel ways of reusing them. Thus, it is essential to understand and spread the importance and develop a culture of circular economy in our own lives.