Linear vs. Circular
Our economy can currently be described as predominantly linear. We take materials from the Earth, make them into products, and discard them as waste.
This disrupts the planet’s life support systems. It drives climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution.
A circular economy offers an alternative. It’s powered by a transition to renewable energy and materials. A circular economy offers the opportunity to secure prosperity, employment and resilience while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and pollution.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a global leader in the circular economy. It has developed three basic principles of a circular economy, each driven by design:
- Eliminate waste and pollution
- Circulate products and materials (at their highest value)
- Regenerate nature
“Being a circular business is about improving mauri [life-giving essence] in every interaction we have. It’s about enhancing the land, water, and air, as well as the people we interact with. This allows us to build resilience, have a competitive advantage and align our personal values to ‘what we do’.”
Quote from interviewee. Going Full Circle Six focus areas for shifting Aotearoa New Zealand to a low carbon circular economy. September 2021
