- What the experts call unintended consequences: Not carefully studying costs and benefits has painful repercussions, such as perpetuating a cycle of environmental degradation. The chemical additives in plastic leech into food and beverages, posing severe health risks. Microplastics are linked to increased heart attacks and strokes.
Not all consumers favor the next-generation products over the old ones. It’s imperative to cut off the waste upstream by transitioning to circularity to extend the joy of our products (and services) and minimize the strain on the planet.
How To Move From A Take-Make-Use-Throw Economic Model Towards A More Circular One
The Industrial Revolution stimulated growth that brought considerable improvements to living standards in most parts of the globe, yet it’s come to light that the take-make-use-throw model is no longer viable because economic growth outpaces the available resources. Denied vehemently, the circular economy has been restored to its rightful place in business thinking. Environmental issues are still here and must be urgently addressed to sustain our society and live in harmony with each other. The EU is responding to citizens’ expectations by adopting new measures to reduce waste, and to stay ahead of the regulatory curve, you must think beyond horizon-scanning and procure balers and waste compactors.
There’s no single solution, so various options must be implemented to make a dent in the growth of pollution. Here are some examples:
Incorporate More Recycled Content Into Your Packaging
Packaging, most of it single-use food wrapping, creates a lot of rubbish, which contributes to air pollution and water contamination, not to mention climate change. While we often look to bigger companies to lead the way, smaller producers can join the revolution to reduce the total amount of waste that leaks into the environment by improving packaging design. The idea is to deploy fewer types of plastic, get rid of the waste cardboard, decrease weight, and, most importantly, increase recyclability. Several companies have developed returnable/refillable systems for beverages, often used in tandem with deposit return schemes.
Make It Easy And Affordable For Consumers To Repair Goods
Repair is a critical element of environmental sustainability and economic prosperity because it extends the life of products and materials, meaning leakage is minimised via slowing, closing, or narrowing energy loops, with residues used for further production. Ensure your products have a modular design and comprise individual, interchangeable, and standardised components. The EU’s Right to Repair directive guarantees manufacturers provide timely and cost-effective repair services, encouraging consumers to repair instead of replace. Physical repairability isn’t the only issue. In the technology industry, fabricators must provide software updates to combat programmed obsolescence.
Encourage Customers To Waste Less By Teaching Them New Behaviours
Many firms have adopted ambitious targets regarding recycled content and recyclability, which helps them prepare for upcoming regulations and mitigate reputational risk as consumers’ awareness of the problem continues to rise. Speaking of which, a little education and a bit of creativity will go a long way towards motivating your customers to proactively reduce their waste. You can no longer rely on a small percentage of early adopters to create future success. Even if you sell the most sustainable products, you can’t control what customers do, but you should at least try to cultivate an eco-conscious mentality.
Concluding Thoughts
How has our society changed? Since World War II, we’ve embraced the materials economy, which is unsustainable, hurting nature and the climate. Convenience decides everything. It’s critical to return to normal, or a new version of normal, to reduce the impact we have on the plane
