THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

WHILE CATASTROPHE SOUNDS ALARMIST AND TOO WRETCHED A WORD TO DESCRIBE THE CURRENT PREDICAMENT THE PLANET IS FACING, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT CHANGING CLIMATE AND PLASTIC POLLUTION GETTING OUT OF HAND ARE REALITIES WE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH. THE PROPOSED REMEDY IS AN ECONOMIC MODEL TO REFINE MATERIAL MANAGEMENT AND REDUCE WASTAGE. BUT WILL IT STOP US FROM FURTHER DEFILING MOTHER NATURE AND CAREENING INTO INFERNAL CONSEQUENCES?

- JUSTIN NG

Is the circular economy a novel concept? Let’s ponder.

When I was a primary school student, I used to return an empty glass bottle to the grocer who sold me chilli sauce. For my effort, I was rewarded with 10 cents. It seemed paltry by today’s standards, but at the time, it encouraged a repeat purchase. The very act ensured the empty bottle would be shipped back to the producer, who sanitised and reused the bottle, thereby saving it from the landfill had I discarded it or having to order a replacement from a supplier. The practice seemed like a brilliant idea. Yet it was gradually phased out.

The glass bottle was ultimately superseded by a squishy plastic bottle introduced on the premise of convenience. For one, I didn’t have to remind myself to bring along the glass bottle for my next visit to the store. The plastic bottle was much lighter too and risked no breakage, unlike the brittle glass. But there was a factor more than meeting the eyes that rendered glass a relic. It was the underlying economics that won plastic the race, from the perspectives of the producer and the storekeeper. Recycling came with a cost. Eventually that cost outweighed the benefit. Plastic replaced glass. Disposable trumped recycling so we hadn’t looked back. Only recently have we begun to reexamine our addiction to plastic and try to wean ourselves off it.

What exactly is the circular economy? 

The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, involving sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible, thereby prolonging the life cycle of a product.