In an increasingly finite world, we must rethink the meaning of luxury and get creative by reusing what we already have
When you think of waste, what is the first word that comes to mind? It certainly won’t be luxury. In fact, waste is considered quite the opposite. We want to dispose of it never to be seen again, and we don’t even want to think twice about where it ends up. But whether we like it or not, we can’t escape waste. In fact, London alone produces 7m tonnes of it. While some of it is recycled and reintroduced into the economy, too much of which goes to landfill and incineration, contributing to global warming and the climate crisis.
Rethinking how we use waste is increasingly important as we start to understand that natural resources are finite and that are current disposal systems are unsustainable. It’s up to everyone to be more mindful of how much waste we create, but it’s especially important for governments to create incentives to reduce waste, and for businesses to create innovative products from transformed or upcycled waste that consumers would want to use.
This is where circularity comes in: an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. In stark contrast to linear systems that take, make and dispose, circular systems are made up of reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling to create a close-loop system, minimising the use of natural resources and limiting the creation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions.
Read the full article in Regalier Issue 3
