The Circular Economy

The point at which a waste material is treated and is no longer a waste.

A circular economy is a way of using resources that minimizes waste, pollution, and environmental impact. In a circular economy, waste and primary raw material use are minimised by maintaining the value of products and materials for as long as possible. Resources are kept within the economy for as long as possible – products are used for longer or reused again and again. When they do reach the end of their life, products are repurposed as secondary raw materials and create further value. They can be used to recreate the same product or something new. The 2020 EU Circular Economy Action Plan focuses on accelerating the transition of Europe’s economy towards a more circular model. Ireland’s national waste policy was published in 2020: A Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy.

The Ellen Mc Arthur Foundation has information on Circular Economy, Climate Change, and the impacts of waste on our Climate: Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

High quality recycling such as:

Composting

Composting is the breakdown of the organic waste material (anything that was once living) by micro-organisms in controlled, aerobic (oxygenated) conditions into a dark crumbly and earthy smelling material called compost.  This end product, a nutrient-rich soil conditioner, re-enters the economy as a secondary raw material.

End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) in the Circular Economy

End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) refer to cars or light commercial vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tonnes that are no longer suitable for use and are discarded as waste. Hazardous materials are removed from the ELV and then the remaining vehicle may be dismantled whereby individual parts can be reused and thus re-enter the economy. ELVs, or the parts of ELVs, that cannot be reused in their former state are shredded and separated into their base parts such as ferrous  metals (containing iron), non ferrous metals (such as aluminium), plastics, and glass. These individual components are recycled and re-entered into the economy as a secondary raw material.

Tyres

When tyres are discarded as waste, 3% of those tyres can be prepared for reuse, 2% are repurposed as ballast, and 68% are recycled. Recycled tyres are typically used in equestrian arenas, sports pitches, rubber mat products, flower beds and various other products based on demand.

After Reducing consumption and Reusing products - Recycling is the final cycle in a Circular Economy. Recycling is far better than incineration or landfill because materials get another chance to be used and because we don’t need to extract more raw materials from the earth. If we can reduce extraction of raw materials from the earth we can also reduce habitat destruction and some of the production emissions. 

However, recycling costs a lot of fuel and energy to collect, transport and process waste materials such as paper, plastic, metals etc. In a circular economy we would design products that have less waste in the first place and are easily recycled thereby cutting the emissions caused by production, transport and remanufacturing them into something else. 

What waste can be recycled?

Paper, cardboard, all plastic packaging, tins and cans can all be recycled in Ireland. More information on recyclable waste is available on mywaste.ie. Information on waste operators is available at iwma.ie.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! While reducing consumption (and thus reducing waste) should be our main priority, reusing products instead of throwing them out is also a very important step in reducing waste and bolstering a Circular Economy. Reusing and re-purposing products will encourage a shift toward more conscious consumption and encourage companies to produce more durable and long-lasting products that can endure as many cycles as possible. To learn more about the reuse sector, check out Research 405: Qualifying and Quantifying the Reuse Sector in Ireland and the Clean Technology Centre Q2REUSE.

For example, Reusable packaging. Overall, the best packaging choice is to incentivise the use of reusable packaging by offering an incentive for customers to return and refill and reuse packaging.