Turning the European economy towards sustainability by 2050 is a big EU bet. The Circular Economy meets the need for sustainable development, at a time when economic growth is consuming more and more of the planet’s natural resources. A typical example is that the average European citizen produces 475kg of waste each year and 28% ends up in landfills. Cyprus holds the second place in the EU.28, producing 626kg of waste each year, of which 75% ends up in landfills and only 13% is recycled (Eurostat, 56/2016).The transition to a circular economy promotes change (with “waste” being transformed into raw material, aiming at reuse, repair, renewal and recycling of existing materials and products). The objective is the linear economy which is based exclusively on resource mining, to be replaced by a more circular economy that is more sustainable.Also, according to the EU. Two million jobs are expected to be created through better product design, re-use and waste prevention, while € 600 billion could be saved if we use our resources more efficiently.Changing towards a cyclical economy requires the involvement and participation of all, with policymakers taking the leading role. Companies will need to redesign the production chains of their products.
Consumers play the most catalytic role in achieving change through their choices. The more conscious consumers are, the more pressure is exerted on the creation of goods and services that are involved in the circular economy.
In this newsletter you can see how consumers can choose sustainable products and services.
The Terra Cypria Foundation participates in the Working Group of the European Environmental Network EEB for Circular Economy.
The video: “How do we make gold from garbage?” is illustrates how the circular economy could work.