A Dam Good Idea…
In 2020, Amsterdam declared itself the first city in the world to pledge to building a circular economy, with the focus being on food and organic waste streams, consumer goods, as well as the built environment.
By 2030, Amsterdam plans to have halved its use of new raw materials and by 2050, the city aims to be 100% circular and only relying on used and re-cycled materials.
As with any circular economy, their aim is to break the link between economic activity and using up the earths precious resources. This process may involve reusing, repairing, and sharing products and materials.
Circularity in some industries, such as fashion, is one of the keys to sustainability.
This sustainability cannot happen through the consumer alone, and must be driven by industry through innovation, desire, and leadership. The partnerships and communal benefits that a circular economy can bring are many and varied and the move away from the linear economy, with the costs involved, is a risk well worth investing in. Governments have a massive part to play, but industry does too from the large corporates right through to the small SME start-ups.
