Circular Design — Why is now the time?
What exactly is the circular design? In what context was it born and why? Why is now the time for it? What role does design play in this new model?
Our purpose in this article is to tell you why it is important to apply the circular strategy in the world of design, and to give you a first approach to a concept about which we have a lot of knowledge to share with you. 😊
Circular Design: Why is now the time?
1. Because there is no planet B
The growth rate of our planet is extremely high in every way: population growth, growth of urban centers, growth of primary energy consumption, water use, fertilizer use, deforestation of forests, carbon monoxide consumption and a looong etcétera of phenomena that cannot continue to grow at the rate they are currently doing (see infographic below).
The growth rate of the planet’s population is now unstoppable. In fact, it is estimated that in 2024 we will reach 8 billion people in the world, with the high data on resource consumption that this implies: a 50% increase in energy consumption, a 50% increase in food consumption and 30% increase in water demand.
Really worrying data, which translate into a very notable increase in the degradation of nature and the scarcity of resources, that will translate into a decrease in the quality and safety of our lives.
2. Regulations are becoming demanding
Fortunately, governments have begun to take measures to try to stop this growth that is so unprofitable for our planet. And, although they are insufficient measures, we want to think that it is the beginning of a change in governmental mentality, in which our planet will be prioritized before economic growth and the continued exploitation of resources.
Examples are the European regulations regarding the prohibition of the use of plastics, the prohibition of the use of straws and the obligation to use disposable products in the restaurant sector. Or going to a more international level, the Sustainable Development Objectives of the United Nations Organization (UNO), that pursue an improvement in the quality of life of our planet to preserve it as it deserves.
3. Long-term benefits for companies
Although in the short term it may seem like a big structural change, there is evidence that in the long term it is worth investing in the circular economy. In the following graphs we can see that the companies that invested in sustainable development grew more than the companies that did not.
And it was even beneficial in times of crisis, as the companies that have invested in circular economy have resisted much better to the crisis of the COVID-19.
4. The consumer demands it
Beyond the economic and environmental context, we are in a moment of collective awareness, in which the consumer has become more demanding regarding the sustainability of the products and services they consume.
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Although before it was an added value, now the sustainability of products is a “must” for many consumers. Its process and place of manufacture, the materials used, the company behind it or the possibilities of reusing the product are factors that are increasingly more important in the moment of purchase decision.
But what exactly does it mean to go from linear to circular?
The circular economy is based on the idea that everything that is produced, obviously in a sustainable way, also has a sustainable use and, at the same time, can be recycled / reused / used to re-enter the circle and the stage of production. In this way, all stages of the economy are focused on both the sustainability of practices and the reuse and exploitation.
This image shows us very clearly the difference between the linear economy, the semi-circular economy 😉 (you can see in the image that it generates a lot of waste and at the same time there is consumption of non-renewable raw materials), and the circular economy, where everything is produced in a sustainable way and comes from renewable resources.
What role does design play?
The role of design is decisive in the circular economy since 80% of the environmental impacts of products occur in the design phase.
This means that a change in the mentality of the business world is essential in order to carry out this change of model so necessary for our planet.
— But how can we transform our business model?
— What types of circular economy strategies are there?
— What tools do we have to carry out this transformation?
— How do we plan and develop a circular economy project?
