BBC News
May 11, 2016
The firms planning on making less and recycling more
More and more firms are completely rethinking how products are made; redesigning them to make them more durable, easier to dismantle, repair and reuse.
Fundamentally changing the way we organise our current economic model is no easy task, but European governments and some of the continent’s largest companies are waking up to the fact that profound change is needed.
Radical new concepts are rarely embraced with enthusiasm, but the circular economy could be an important exception.
The reason is simple; ever-growing demand, driven by population growth and wealth creation, cannot be met by the Earth’s finite natural resources.
As the European Commission’s Frans Timmermans has said: “Our planet and our economy cannot survive if we continue with the ‘take, make, use and throw away’ approach. We need to retain precious resources and fully exploit all the economic value within them.”
Jaguar Land Rover is completely rethinking its production processes (Getty Images)