According to the reading a circular economy is “an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by intention and design.” Due to all of the waste recycling is no longer enough, and having a circular economy is the best solution. Our currency industrial economy uses the linear process. This means that instead the end of a product cycle leads to becoming waste or “thrown away.” The great amount of emissions and waste the linear process creates is extremely harmful to our environment.  However using a circular economy would mean that minimal material becomes waste and instead is reused and becomes raw materials to become something new. A circular economy eliminates waste and pollution and anything that has a negative impact on human health and natural systems. It avoids the use of fossil fuels and non-renewable resources by only using renewable resources. The circular economy was designed and refined by a mixed group of academics and not given credit to one person in particular. The circular economy also follows the “cradle to cradle” approach in the idea that nothing is wasted, everything is transformed into something new. The aim of the circular economy is to reduce waste and emissions while improving the environment. Regeneration constantly occurs as products get renewed and replenished by going through a new lifecycle. This regeneration will help improve the stability of scarce resources being used. The circular economy ensures that we will respect our finite resources while still having enough food, water, shelter, heating and so much more! The reason why the circular economy isn’t that well known and used is because it requires a lot of changes and causes a lot of obstacles for companies to overcome. There is a lack of awareness, economic viability, policies, and technology to implement a circular economy. Some materials are not able to be recycled indefinitely as well. 

It definitely seems like a lot of hard work to reconstruct a business to make it more sustainable, but Dr. Daan Elffers came up with four simple steps to begin! The first step or phase is to set goals and create an action plan. During this phase you will be able to align your goal and circular economy with your company’s core values. Next step is educating and activating your organization. This occurs by providing training to motivate employees to achieve your goals. The next phase is to innovate and optimize by analyzing the materials and see if they need to be improved. Lastly, you have to engage and share ambitions with everyone inside and outside of the company.