RM&C - T8 the circular economy & the possibility of degrowth

circular economy & ways to create circular value

linear economy: traditional economic model focus - growth & profit, prioritise economic outcomes over social/env wellbeing, process: take - make - dispose, leads: resource depletion/pollution & waste/env degradation; circular economy: economic model aim - reduce waste, reuse materials, restore env damage, wants to integrate economy activity & env wellbeing, inspired by natural systems (water cycle), replaces LE with closed-loop systems, waste designed out of system; creating circular value (Lacy et al 2020): circular inputs (use renewable/recyclable materials, solar energy/rainwater/bioplastics/recyclable plastics, paper,cardboard), product use extension (extending life: repair/resale/upgrade, reduces waste, counters planned obsolescence, uses existing firm capabilities), sharing platforms (access not ownership, car/bike sharing, fewer products overall, lower env impact), product as a service (company retains ownership, C pay for usage/service, firm responsible: maintenance, reduces waste/material, requires new service-based capabilities), resource recovery (focus: product end-of-life, recover materials/resources, early planning & design, not always feasible but important)

understand barriers to achieving this

criticisms of CE: ignores social justice & inequality/lead unintended env consequences/tech relies on rare metals/long-lasting products = difficult & energy-intensive to recycle; barriers: C resistant & habits/organisational reluctance to change/system-wide rethinking not incremental change/infrastructure & cost challenges

doughnut economies & degrowth as options to address severity of challenges posed by climate crisis

doughnut economy (based: doughnut economics): shift in economic mindset, recognises planetary boundaries & social foundations, incorporates sustainable development goals, safe space for humanity between social minimum & ecological ceiling; 7 ways of thinking in DE: 1 change goal (from GDP growth to wellbeing), 2 see economy as embedded in society & nature, 3 nurture cooperative behaviour, 4 embrace economic complexity, 5 design for fair distribution, 6 create regenerative circular systems, 7 be growth-agnostic; degrowth: reduce material & energy throughput (total materials & energy extracted/used/returned as waste), GDP reduction = consequence not objective, deliberate & planned not recessionary, applies to affluent societies in Global North; growth (overconsumption & waste) - sustainable growth (regulation & ethical consumerism) - degrowth (localisation, community focus, reduced consumption)

regenerative businesses

regenerative & post-growth: go beyond doing less harm, aim: restore ecosystems & communities, align: circular & doughnut principles; post-growth business characteristics (Hinton 2021): 1 small scale & local, 2 social purpose over profit, 3 democratic governance, 4 cooperative structures, 5 reduced emphasis: profit maximisation

examples of organisations: what they look like, how they work, what this means for marketing & consumption

Fairbnb.coop: cooperative alternative to Airbnb, tourism revenue supports local social & ecological projects, works with communities & local authorities, reduces negative impacts of mass tourism; LOAF (Co-op bakery): community-based, affordable not luxury, real bread minimal ingredients, education through food, cooperative ownership (all staff directors, equal pay/benefits, shared responsibility & decision making, long-term S over short-term profit), supply chain: ethical/local/affordable sourcing, values-driven supplier selection, acknowledges limits of individual impact, works within wider cooperative movements, consumption: cookery school rebuilds lost food skills, encourages critical thinking about food choices, empowers consumers rather than promoting overconsumption; implications for M&C: shift from promoting volume to value, focus: education/transparency/relationships, encourage reduced C & longer product use, support social & environmental wellbeing

the circular economy & the possibility of degrowth

circular economy & ways to create circular value; understand barriers to achieving this; doughnut economies & degrowth as options to address severity of challenges posed by climate crisis; regenerative businesses; examples of organisations: what they look like, how they work, what this means for marketing & consumption