Circular Economy

By: Lily Beloeil-Smith (Yr8), Spandita Nayak (Yr9)

What is Circular Economy?

A ‘Circular Economy’ is a way of using clothes, packaging, objects and values again and again. For example, someone following the principles of a Circular Economy designs, uses, repairs, and recycles a pair of jeans that could have easily been thrown in the bin at home. But, remember, throwing things away may be the easy way our but is not always the right way.

This concept and way of living is environmentally friendly, and doesn’t waste raw materials used once by people and respects the animals that worked hard to make it. This is also very good with supporting local economies in countries. If we use this method, we could save money, and help the world at the same time.

Why is the Circular Economy important in our lives?

A Circular Economy is an essential way to reuse resources without wasting any materials that we’ve already created. Our world currently works in a linear economy where we dispose of materials after we use them. This creates a lot of excess waste material that ends up in landfills around the world, never to be used again. However, a Circular Economy fixes this. After the materials are used, we take them apart and can reuse the materials to make different products. It does not create any waste because everything goes in a circular (repeating) cycle and is only disposed of once it absolutely can’t be used again.

A Circular economy is a crucial step for the world if we want to stop harming the environment. The world is already at a point where the effects of climate change and pollution could be irreversible, and a circular economy is a way for us to stop creating even more waste than we already have. It’s a step in the right direction for us to reverse the damage we’ve already made on the environment.

What is a Linear Economy?

A Linear Economy is very different from a Circular Economy. A Linear Economy is our old, and current way of living that we need to change. A Circular Economy is the full circle of one material that you can recycle, and reuse for a lifetime. A Linear Economy however, is definitely not ecological and is wasteful and very harmful to the environment. A Linear Economy also means more money to waste on products you use once or twice (maybe more than that for clothes) and throw in the bin. A small little action like this is capable of harming something very important without us realising this

What can you do for the Circular Economy?

You can start simple with a circular economy. Even something as small as reusing a plastic water bottle as a plant pot instead of throwing it into the bin is circular economy. Taking your unneeded items to recycling bins. Reusing or upcycling old clothes into something new. Making creative solutions with materials you already have. If everyone does all of these small actions, they would create a big impact together. A Circular economy is not something that happens overnight and it’s a gradual process.

So, What can you do?

A Circular economy can even be used in our school.

Bringing reusable cutlery.
Making hair ties and accessories out of school uniforms.
Making recycling boxes out of craft materials.
Making pots for plants out of plastic Water bottles (if you don’t like the style, you can paint the bottle!)
Collecting materials normally wasted in science projects and using them for something new.
Soap bottles out of plastic bottles.
Cardboard tissue dispensers from leftover art and DT materials.
Using soil from the ODC as compost for plants
Reusing broken PE equipment in art projects
Disposing technological waste in the E-waste drive
Greenhouse businesses.
Honey Bee business in the ODC
Buying compost soil from the ODC.

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