The Circular Economy as the New Normal
This case study explores the steps that must be taken to apply circular thinking in the real world. It gives examples, shares experiences, and discusses the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach. It also describes the need for upscaling and innovation from a pragmatic and programmatic approach and shows how implementation gaps can be bridged.
Why is cooperation in the value chain needed at a multi-stakeholder level? If capitalism and industrialization are responsible for social and environmental degradation, what economic reforms are needed to create a circular economy?
Introduction
As stated, in times of perceived instability, self-preservation expresses itself in protectionist memes such as xenophobia and a general "fear of the unknown". Consider the fact that the earliest railways were not laid down by the owners of stage-coaches and that the smartphone was not invented by a phone company. Established structures hardly ever give rise to the new by self-reflection and the embrace of change, as they are often blind to the unsustainability of their own approaches.
This thesis is defined by system-wide collaboration and the creation of abundance through regeneration of finite resources through continuous cycling. The first relies on system thinking and is mostly hindered by mindset, the latter can be dealt with through the proper application of design thinking and understanding that the value of things lies in their functionality, rather than in their constituent materials. A state of the art smartphone only contains several euros-worth of material, but close to a thousand euros of added intelligence and appreciated functional value.