Circular Economy

By Alexander Rosacruz

"Circular Economy", is a work that offers a complete vision of one of the most important issues of our time. Within its pages, you will find a unique perspective on the history of recycling, the shift from a linear model of production to a circular economy, global efforts, laws, and what companies are doing, as well as what individuals can do.

This book is essential for anyone interested in the environment and sustainability, as it offers a complete overview of the life cycle of products, from their design and production to their recycling and reuse. The circular economy is a response to the environmental, social, and economic challenges we face today, and an innovative and effective way to address these problems.

In "Circular Economy", you will find case studies and practical examples of leading companies that are implementing sustainable practices and how these initiatives are benefiting their business and the planet. Additionally, you will learn about the laws and regulations that are driving the shift toward a circular economy, and how governments and citizens can work together to achieve a greener economy.

This book is designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of prior knowledge on the subject. From students and academics to business people and activists, this book offers essential and practical information for everyone interested in the sustainable future of our planet.

In short, "Circular Economy" is an essential reference work for anyone interested in the environment and sustainability. If you're looking for a practical and accessible guide on how we can work together to create a brighter future, this book is for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Editorial Anuket
• Release date: Nov 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223486619

Book preview

Chapter 1

The culture of consumption

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Consumer culture has become an integral part of our modern society. From constant advertising to the availability of products online, we are constantly bombarded with messages that drive us to buy more stuff.

But what exactly is consumer culture? It is a mentality that promotes the excessive consumption of goods and services as a way to satisfy our needs and desires. It is based on the idea that happiness and success can be found in the accumulation of material things.

This culture of consumption has been driven in large part by advertising. Advertisers have learned to appeal to our emotions and needs, convincing us that we need products to be happy, popular, and successful. In addition, the ease with which we can buy online has seen the convenience of consumption and has reduced the obstacles to purchase.

However, this culture of consumption has negative consequences. For one, it can lead to overproduction and overconsumption, which in turn can have a significant environmental impact. Also, it can contribute to personal dissatisfaction, since happiness and success are not based on the number of things we own.

To overcome consumer culture, we must begin to change our mindset and question our needs and desires. We MUST learn to differentiate between what we need and what we want and be more aware of our purchasing choices. We must also consider the environmental impact of our purchases and look for more sustainable alternatives.

On the other hand, we must support companies that have more sustainable and ethical practices. We can do this by researching the companies and brands we buy and choosing those that care about the environment and society. By choosing responsible companies, we can send a message that consumer culture is not necessary for success and happiness.

Climate change is the symptom, consumer culture is the disease (Atkins).

Over the last century, consumer culture has had a very damaging effect on the environment. Consumer culture, the buying or selling of goods driven by social norms, is responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In sports, for example, is where we see consumer culture taking hold, as this industry has started to focus on consumption rather than the sport itself. As we all know, climate change has been a hot topic in our society for many years, but we must act now to avoid irreversible consequences.

Consumer culture is bad for the environment!

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How is consumer culture carried forward?

Consumer culture is the spending of people's money on material goods to achieve a better lifestyle in a capitalist society. This way of life began in the 1920s with the rise of tabloids, magazines, and radio. Since that time, the consumption of goods has grown exponentially and what was once a luxury is now considered a necessity. Today's advertisers aim to create value in products by presenting them in a way that makes them more desirable to consumers, regardless of their actual benefits, or whether the advertisement is cheating; Little White Lies ...as they call them.

In the society we live in, the message that you are what you have is prominent, and the more you have, the happier you will be is certainly destructive to self-esteem, confidence, and overall happiness.

Consumption in our society is a social process. Buying more means getting a higher social status. The ideology behind it is to legitimize capitalism in our daily lives and encourage people to become heavy consumers. The more consumers, the more money these companies make. We live in an era of mass production where there is an expectation that everything we want will always be available. Because all of these products are so easy to buy, we take them for granted and don't realize the consequences of all our purchases. We buy more things than we need because we want to fit in. We aspire to high social status and will do everything in our power to achieve it.

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The culture of consumption in our society

Throwaway culture is a term used to describe the excessive consumption and production of temporary disposable items. This is because when companies make products that have deliberately shorter shelf lives, consumers are more likely to buy them again. The theory behind it is called planned obsolescence and it may explain why products don't last as long.

The first example of aging is a light bulb. In the 1920s, light bulbs lasted nearly 2,500 hours, compared to 1,000 hours today. Companies that produce light bulbs deliberately shorten their life. Companies deliberately produce less durable products for more profit. The problem is its negative impact on the environment. Toxic waste is constantly accumulating on our planet and there is nowhere to go.

Another trend that we see in society that leads to overproduction is fast fashion.

The term Fast Fashion is used to describe the highly profitable business model of producing cheap copies of the latest fashion trends. Clothing production has doubled since the year 2000. Most of us tend to buy cheap clothes that are in style at a certain time but don't last. Fast fashion is the second biggest polluter in the world after the oil industry. Toxic wastewater from textile factories is discharged directly into rivers, negatively affecting aquatic life and communities near the water source.

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sports consumer culture

If we look at the consumer culture in sports, we see that marketing and consumer goods play an increasingly important role. The Olympic