Circular Economy and the Green Transition
How we can optimise circular economy with people power
"Your paradigm is so intrinsic to your mental process that you are hardly aware of its
existence, until you try to communicate with someone a different paradigm." Donella Meadows
Circular economy has become a green buzzword, however the majority of people in most countries are not sure what it means and how this concept affects, or improves their lives. If tangible examples of circular model(s) and their economic and social transactions and gains are visible to the community, this is likely to attract a great number of people supporting this workable concept. Given the current economic model and the social conditions resulting from it, circular economy cannot alone bring everyone on board towards green transition.
The question of what we focus on first, economic growth or sustainability, is increasingly answered by our climate becoming more precarious, and it is not a case of whether countries will or will not keep developing, but what shape their development takes.
So what is circular thinking?
Unless we look to ongoing improvement and the next best hypothesis is being sorted and
being looked at in depth with an open mind, limited circular thinking, or going round in circles is a clear possibility. Various psychology books highlight this phenomenon. The concept of "circular wheel" is an interesting biological reality in the life of ants. When groups of ants separate from their colony, they can form a large circle and move around it. As they try to find their way back, they all follow the ants in front, sometimes for days. This goes on over extended periods of time until some ants break the circle.
The innovation presented here is the work of the Earthvoice editor Kinga Monica. She is available for consulting on practical instigation of the concept, sustainability and ecotourism consulting, internationally.
