ith our global population estimated to reach 9 billion people
by 2030, the phrase “circular economy” is becoming less of a
buzzword and more of an urgent rallying cry. That’s because
we’re using more resources than the Earth can consistently
supply. Citizens—and companies—are realizing that the health of our
planet depends more and more on reusing what we already have in a more
sustainable way. The three Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle—are at the core
of this movement not only for individuals but also for the companies that
are producing the goods that make up everyday life.
The stories in the news are all too familiar. Whales washing up on
shores around the world with mounds of plastic and other garbage in their
stomachs are becoming alarmingly common. The Great Pacific Garbage
Patch, a section of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California, now
contains roughly 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic floating around in an area
about twice the size of Texas. In fact, scientists note that if nothing changes
in the way we use plastic, there will be more of it in our oceans by 2050
than there are fish.
The good news is that there is much that can be done to make things
better. Companies of all sizes have embraced sustainability and the
importance of recycling. A growing subset of these companies are startups,
founded and run by millennials, who have the most at stake from the
harm being done today. These companies, as well as some of the largest
companies on the planet, are investing in new and innovative methods to
make the products we love without so many of the environmentally harmful
side effects.SPONSORED CONTENT
Innovation
on the Path to
Sustainability
A growing number of companies are creating newways to reduce their impact on the planet.If there is any doubt about the scope of
the problem, it is alarmingly illustrated in a
recent study from Science Advances. It shows
that since the invention of plastic in 1907,
8.3 billion metric tons of virgin (nonrecycled)
plastic have been produced, generating 6.3
billion metric tons of waste. But here’s the
really alarming part: Nearly 80% of that has
piled up in landfills, while just 9% has been
recycled. A total of 12 billion metric tons
are expected to be in landfills or our oceans
by 2050 if current production and waste
management trends continue without change.
What often gets overlooked in these stories
is that every person in society has a role to
play in reversing this trend. Experts continually
say that we are either contributing to the
Earth’s pollution and plastic buildup or we
are looking for ways to mitigate our impact on
the planet. Similarly, large corporations and
other organizations also play a huge role in
either furthering the damage or protecting our
environment.
Earlier this year, the World Economic
Forum and the Forum of Young Global Leaders