An introduction to nonlinear living.
We live in a world where people camp outside in lines anticipating the release of the latest Iphone. We are always seeking the newest, fastest and best technology available. However, in an era of exponential growth and rapid evolution, electronics consumption cannot keep a sustainable pace. It has become an epidemic and has created a detrimental waste problem for our planet. Each year, over 400 million smartphones are sold across the EU and UK while only 12 percent of them end up being recycled.
The good news is that, through a small shift, we may have the best of both worlds. That is, the ability to enjoy the latest technology while ensuring that we are not participating in the rapid degradation of our planet through unsustainable practices and over consumerism.
Living ‘circular’ means developing a new mentality, one that embraces recycling and reduces outdated and wasteful production methods.
Take-Make-Waste
Since the Industrial Revolution, our homes, families, communities, workplaces, modes of production, economies, and our whole lives have been built on a human-made idea of consumerism in a linear world.
However, linear thinking is one-dimensional, narrow and expects things to go neatly in sequence ending in a product.
In the economy, the linear approach takes a resource, it makes a product, sells a product, the product is used and then disposed of. Nearly everything we buy is designed to someday end up on the rubbish heap. It might be a shirt that is meant to last one season or a smartphone that is meant to last a couple years. But it is meant to be bought, used, and discarded.
Benefits Of Being Circular
Moving towards a more circular economy delivers huge benefits by reducing pressure on the environment, increasing competitiveness, stimulating innovation, and boosting economic growth.
There are more and more stories of inspiring people who are living circular; People who are rejecting the linear approach that has been sold as the only way.
Plenty of companies, both large and small, have begun implementing a circular design to their products, such as Timberland (from tires to shoes), Raw for the Oceans (upcycling ocean trash into clothing), and Beneko (online smartphone marketplace), following circular economy principles across sales, services, and buyback channels.
Ready to Change?
There are many ways to be a part of a circular economy. Whether it’s through ride-sharing to work, car-sharing apps, recycled smartphones, or biodegradable products, each time we opt-in, we’re encouraging more companies to go circular.
This type of sustainable economy is incredibly important as more and more people around the world become consumers. The circular economy gives us an alternative option that allows us to keep enjoying the products and services we love.
It’s Cheaper Too
In his book, The Circular Economy, (A Users Guide), Walter-R-Stahel claims circular by default is actually cheaper than linear economy. Stahel is widely recognized as one of the key people who formulated the concept of the Circular Economy.
The shift to a Circular industrial economy, therefore, is more affordable and can be accelerated by motivating individuals to dream of happiness beyond ownership, to become owner-users of goods, economic actors owning and operating objects, and ultimately to really care for the longevity of objects and materials in their possession. Want to try it out? Beneko is a technology platform with Circular Economy principles. Purpose-built for the telecommunication device community, Beneko’s responsible marketplace is available in 28 EU countries & the UK. Choose an Eco-Friendly recycle option, or get cashback for an unwanted device. Just download the Beneko App.