Forum Topic

Designing for the Circular Economy

https://resource.co/article/ellen-macarthur-foundation-launches-new-circular-design-toolkitWe're throwing away too much that could be reused and we need to find a way to reuse it.There's more info on the Ellen Macarthur website.There are still far too many products which are problematic.

Philippa Bond ● 2276d5 Comments

Not a popular approach when we're being encouraged to support the economy by going out and buying stuff. Transition to a no-growth economy is never going to be easy in the present political and economic climate based on traditional beliefs in the need for endless growth.  So instead we get slumps brought on by external events or financial failures, and then the push for 'growth' can start all over again, with no lessons learned.

Peter Evans ● 2276d

It doesn't mean not buying stuff.

Philippa Bond ● 2276d

This includes designing packaging to make it easier for recycling.  The world does not have infinite resources of everything so we need to use what we no longer need as a resource extending its life.Aluminium can be recycled forever.  Google bauxite mining to find out about the peoples whose homes and lives are threatened by this mining.  Recycling our cans could keep our aluminium in the circular economy and slow the demand for this down. Also see the problems caused when an accident happens in its production.https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/documents/2010/teia/presentations/5-1Conference_UNECE_Hungary_red_mud_disaster_CD.pdf

Philippa Bond ● 2274d

I had several items that were destined for the tip but had a rethink yesterday and held some back and put on freebies gumtree as a job lot. Some furniture and garden tools and pots. Within 2 minutes of posting the ad I received a reply. Within an hour they had collected.

Sean Wales ● 2274d

Well done.  It is so much better to make an offer to someone who wants something than to take them somewhere where they just remain uncatelogued amongst many other unwanted things.  It is a rethink.www.trashnothing.com is the freecycling website where people put Wants as well and they have to be collected.  Ebay used to do this too and it was useful if you were collecting replacements pieces for your dinner service etc.  Don't ever leave your name and address on anything - just as you shouldn't anyway - in case someone else isn't as careful as you are with what you do with unwanted things.I remember some time ago that there was a request for unwanted gardening tools for a school garden from someone who was prepared to mend them eg presumably putting new handles on them - something that we all used to be able to get fixed instead of just buying cheap imports.  Sometimes the older stuff is actually superior.  Does anyone know anywhere where you can get a fork handle replaced?I made a mess of my last posting it was about designing products so that they could more easily be recycled.  The majority of people must have come across boxes that are now easier to flatten and noticed that packaging is rarely made out of a mix of materials. 

Philippa Bond ● 2274d