MATERIALS PRODUCTS SERVICES CONSUMER
MINIMAL
DUMPING AND
POLLUTIONCO
M
PO
ST
IN
G
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ICR
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AL (^) D
IGESTI
ON
RE
PU
RP
OSE
RE
CY
CL
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RE
FU
RB
ISH
RE
PA
IR
RE
US
E
MATERIALS PRODUCTS SERVICES CONSUMER
FINITE
RESOURCES
RENEWABLE
RESOURCES
RENEWABLE
ENERGY
BI
O
LO
GI
CA
L (^) N
UT
RIE
NTS
TE
CH
NI
CA
L^ N
UT
RIE
NT
S
IN
PU
TS
O
UT
PU
TS
Products kept
in service as
long as
possible
Discarded
biomass
used in new
products
Biomass
processed to
retrieve nutrients
and energy
Products
used by
many
people
over time
Components
remade to
be as good
as new
Materials
broken
down
into basic
nutrients
Use less, keep things in use longer, recycle endlessly—
a circular economy will take a range of strategies. In the
cradle-to-cradle vision, all products are ultimately broken
down either to “technical nutrients,” which are made into
new products, or biological ones, which return to the soil.
Waste is a design flaw. As in nature, it doesn’t exist.
Design wisely
Machines and other products
are designed to be long-
lasting and easy to repair—or
ephemeral and easy to break
down into basic components.
Repair and reuse
Buy fewer, higher
quality products and
repair them when they
break. Donate the
clothes you don’t wear.
Use less
Renewable energy
replaces fossil fuels; rental
or sharing businesses
serve more people with
fewer products.
Restrain yourself
Fly and drive less.
Eat all the food you buy.
Wear the clothes you
already have. Avoid
single-use plastics.
No waste
All nutrients flow in
cycles. Almost noth-
ing is released as a
pollutant or dumped
in a landfill.
Recycle everything
Compost food waste
(or feed it to your pig).
Recycle everything
you can—and lobby for
more recycling.
CLOSING
THE
CIRCLE
JASON TREAT, NGM STAFF
SOURCE: ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION
WHAT YOU
CAN DO