The birth of the circular economy can’t be traced back to one person. It’s a concept that’s been building off existing schools of thought like Cradle to Cradle, biomimicry, and regenerative design for the last 50 years but feels more relevant and necessary today than ever before.
When applied to physical products, designing for circularity means creating things that can be reused multiple times or broken down into their constituent parts and then rebuilt into equally valuable items. It’s about designing out that end-of-life step altogether and making objects that can stay in use, in some form, indefinitely.
By thinking circularly, companies can reduce their environmental impact in two major ways: by creating less waste and gobbling up fewer raw materials. In addition to being more sustainable, this way of doing business has clear economic benefits. According to research by Accenture, a circular economy could generate $4.5 trillion of additional economic output by 2030, and the International Labour Organization predicts it could generate 18 million new jobs by then too.
Groups like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a U.K.-based organization, are busy working with businesses and governments to expedite the transition to a circular economy. Most recently, the group collaborated with fashion industry leaders including Gap, H&M, and Reformation on a “Jeans Redesign” framework that will keep denim in circulation for longer.
New corporate standards like these certainly push the circular movement forward—but ultimately it’s up to everyday consumers to drive it home. Initiatives like Good Stuff, an experimental pop-up in NYC, are helping get more people excited about it. The one-month exploration of how to live well in the circular economy displayed furniture, fashion, and home goods that were built using circular economy principles or bought off of secondhand websites like Apt Deco and The Real Real. Visitors were welcome to browse the space, attend educational sessions like “Refashion: Upcycled Boas” and “Say Goodbye to Stuff Sustainably,” and bring in their own items to be repaired or recycled.