What is the circular economy?
The notion of circular economy appeared at the
beginning of the 20th century. But this concept of an economic model has
especially developed since the mid-2000s when the climate emergency came to
light. The circular economy is indeed an economic system that advocates the
reduction of consumption, the end of waste, the recycling of waste and the
preservation of natural resources, for a reduced environmental and social
impact.
The definition of the circular economy
As the Environment and Energy Management Agency
(Ademe) indicates, there is no precise and recognized definition of the
circular economy. The organization nevertheless tries to qualify the circular
economy as "an economic system of exchange and production which, at all
stages of the life cycle of products (goods and services), aims to increase the
efficiency of use. resources and reduce the impact on the environment while
developing the well-being of individuals ”.
In other words, the circular economy advocates the production
of goods and services in a sustainable manner, that is to say with the
objectives of limiting consumption, the waste of resources and the production
of waste.
This economic system is opposed to the one in force
until today, called a linear economic model, based on "all
disposable" and excessive consumption. On the contrary, the circular
economy is an economic model which aims to preserve resources, the environment
and health, as well as reduce waste and waste, while promoting economic and
industrial development not at the national and international level, but based
on the territories.
Indeed, in terms of the economy and employment in
particular, the circular economy revolves around new production and consumption
models that are intended to be non-relocatable. This economic system, whose
main objective is to preserve the environment, also encompasses social
considerations and relies in particular on the creation of new jobs in
connection with this model of consumption and production in "loop"
which refuses waste, promotes recycling and reuse of the products and services
we consume.
The principles and fields of action of the circular economy
The circular economy fully integrates the concepts of
sustainable development and energy transition by promoting the preservation of
natural resources, limiting waste production and energy consumption.
A circular economy system is based on different
principles related to environmental and social impacts, and includes several
areas of action that should be favored from one end of the economic circuit to
the other:
- sustainable
sourcing which consists of taking better account of the resources used, from
their extraction to their exploitation, with regard to their environmental and
social consequences;
- eco-design which
incorporates environmental protection from the manufacture or design of goods
or services;
- industrial
and territorial ecology which implements "the voluntary pooling of
resources by economic players in a territory, with a view to saving them or
improving their productivity", as indicated by the Ministry of Transition
ecological;
- the
functional economy, a system that favors the use of a product rather than its
sale, for example the establishment of an electric car rental service by a
municipality which replaces the purchase of a vehicle by an individual or a
company;
- responsible
consumption, which consists in informing the consumer of all the stages in the
life of a product so that his purchase is carried out while knowing exactly the
environmental and social impacts of the product he chooses;
- extending the
useful life which means ensuring that the environmental impact of consumer
products with reduced shelf life is minimized. The fight against planned
obsolescence, for example, is one of the tools in this area of action;
- improving the
prevention, management and recycling of waste with the aim of limiting as much
as possible the production of household waste and from the activity of all
economic players, to reduce their impact on the environment. This lever also
includes the fight against food waste, and objectives, for example, such as the
generalization of returnable packaging, the end of plastic bags, the ban on
printed advertising, or the development of recycling channels.