Recyklační poradenství MUA

Principles of the MUA Circular Economy

Basic principles:

The circular economy (also known as the circular economy) is a concept that is an integral part of sustainable development. It deals with ways to improve the quality of the environment and human life by increasing the efficiency of production.

The key is that the materials used are separated into two independently circulating circuits that follow different logics. The first operates with substances of organic origin, which are easily degradable and therefore have no problem returning them to the biosphere. The second operates with synthetic substances, which should be inserted into products in such a way that they can be subsequently extracted from them and used again, and thus it would never be necessary to return them to the biosphere.

The design of a product in the production chain according to the Cradle to Cradle principles should take into account environmental friendliness, the possibility of dismantling into individual materials and the health safety of the primary product. Individual components must be easily convertible back into a source material from which a product of comparable quality can be produced.

 

Turning waste into raw materials

There is essentially no waste. The biological and technical components of a product are deliberately designed to circulate, to be broken down into raw materials and reused. Substances of biological origin are not toxic and can therefore be composted, for example. Synthetic substances are designed to be reused with minimal energy consumption.

 

Energy from renewable sources

We cannot think in terms of a circular economy if the pace at which we extract resources creates uncertainty about whether future generations will be able to exist within the same production and consumption parameters. We need to draw energy from the Sun that is shining right now, the wind that is blowing right now or from geothermal sources.

 

There is strength in diversity

Adaptability is an increasingly important asset in a rapidly changing world. To achieve a circular economy, we must focus on producing products with a longer lifespan that can be easily modified and repaired. The strategy of emotionally durable design is also worth mentioning. Systems that produce diverse products and materials in a wide range of sizes and variants are more resistant to sudden changes than systems built purely on efficiency.

 

Harmonious development of the social, economic and environmental spheres

The ability to think in the long term and to be able to put different phenomena into context is essential. Society must develop not only with regard to the economic side, but also take into account the quality of life and environmental protection.

The circular economy challenges the linear way of thinking, which says that the result of the process must always be proportional to the input. It points out that any natural systems are capable of evolutionary development in a positive direction. We are then talking about the design solution to the circular economy aspect, imitating nature in terms of the efficiency of resource use and the creation of sustainable ecosystems.

Understanding the system is key if we want to make changes within such a system. Ignoring or misinterpreting trends, processes, how things work and the extent of real human impacts on our socio-ecological system can lead to catastrophic results. To avoid mistakes, we need to apply a holistic approach, which must be fulfilled in order to design a system that will follow the principles of the circular economy.

 

Sometimes it is better to start from scratch or do nothing

Products and services generally aim to satisfy some human need. Thanks to technological progress and inherent environmental demands, the usual solutions to achieve this may increasingly seem unacceptable. It is then better to think about how to satisfy the need other than simply mitigating negative externalities. Life cycle assessment should determine which of the options we choose between is more sustainable. Sometimes it is also possible to abandon the production of the product altogether, which is the surest way to eliminate negative externalities.
We are still struggling with the idea that economic growth is necessarily associated with a deterioration of the environment and quality of life. So when we talk about environmental policy, the discussion is more about mitigating the negative impacts of industrial production. Circular economy means moving from minimizing negative impacts to optimizing positive impacts.