Sustainability blog Is the circular economy the way forward?

摘要

It is predicted that by 2030, three billion people who are now living in poverty will join the middle-class level of consumption, which would create a corresponding surge in the demand for resources. Even the more conservative projections suggest that demand for natural resources will increase by at least a third. The construction industry demands around half of the world's resources and generates around a third of its waste, so it is no wonder that policy makers and industry experts are searching for new approaches that move away from the linear model of "take, make, and dispose". Many are looking to a new model, a "circular economy"; where resources are kept in use and their value is retained.