Circular economy vs linear economy
Summary
- A linear economy takes raw materials, makes something, then eventually it is thrown away.
- A circular economy makes things that can last longer and be easily repaired when they go wrong.
Details
- Waste is minimized
- old things can be repurposed
- on a spaceship, everything must be reused since it is a closed system
References
Quotes
The economic model that drives the Western world – in fact, most of the world – is linear. We take raw materials, make something out of them and throw them away when they break or we tire of them. A circular economy does the opposite. This economic concept is based on a closed-loop system. Circular products, equipment and infrastructure are made to last longer, to extend their productivity. What would be considered and treated as waste in a linear economy is, in a circular one, repurposed or re-used or composted. This approach minimizes the use of new resources and the creation of waste and, in doing so, significantly cuts down on the pollution and carbon emissions that are part and parcel of a linear economy.