10 Questions
What is the main goal of the circular economy?
To minimize waste and reduce the consumption of new materials
What percentage of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU is attributed to industrial processes and product use?
9.10%
What is the estimated percentage of a product's environmental impact determined during the design phase?
80%
What is the average amount of packaging waste generated by a European per year?
180 kilos
What is planned obsolescence?
Designing products to have a limited lifespan to encourage consumers to buy again
What is the primary goal of reducing raw material dependence?
To promote reuse and recycling
Why is recycling raw materials important for achieving climate goals?
Because it provides critical raw materials needed for the production of climate-friendly technologies
What is the expected outcome of moving towards a more circular economy by 2030?
An increase of 700,000 jobs in the EU
What is the current trend in the EU's trade of raw materials?
The EU imports more than it exports
What benefit will consumers experience from the redesign of materials and products for circular use?
They will have access to more durable and innovative products that will save them money in the long term
Study Notes
Circular Economy
- A model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products to extend their life cycle and minimize waste.
- A departure from the traditional linear economic model, which relies on cheap materials and energy and encourages a take-make-consume-throw away pattern.
Environmental Benefits
- Reusing and recycling products would slow down the use of natural resources, reduce landscape and habitat disruption, and help limit biodiversity loss.
- A reduction in total annual greenhouse gas emissions, with industrial processes and product use responsible for 9.10% of emissions in the EU, and waste management accounting for 3.32%.
- Creating more efficient and sustainable products would help reduce energy and resource consumption, with 80% of a product's environmental impact determined during the design phase.
Reducing Waste
- A shift to reliable products that can be reused, upgraded, and repaired would reduce waste, with packaging being a growing issue, and the average European generating nearly 180 kilos of packaging waste per year.
- The aim is to tackle excessive packaging and improve its design to promote reuse and recycling.
Reducing Raw Material Dependence
- The world's growing population and demand for raw materials, but the supply of crucial raw materials is limited and finite.
- The EU imports about half of the raw materials it consumes, with a trade deficit of €35.5 billion in 2021.
- Recycling raw materials mitigates the risks associated with supply, such as price volatility, availability, and import dependency, especially for critical raw materials needed for climate goals.
Economic Benefits
- Moving towards a more circular economy could increase competitiveness, stimulate innovation, boost economic growth, and create jobs (700,000 jobs in the EU by 2030).
- Redesigning materials and products for circular use would boost innovation across different sectors, while providing consumers with more durable and innovative products that increase quality of life and save money in the long term.
Understand the concepts of circular economy, including sharing, leasing, reusing, and recycling, to reduce waste and extend product life cycles.
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