- Circular economy
- A circular economy is an economic system that keeps materials, resources and energy in use at their highest value for as long as possible.
- Linear economy
- A linear economy relies on extracting new raw materials to make products that are thrown away once they are used.
Four loops bring a used product back into the economy
Can you name the four loops by which a circular economy brings a used product back into use?
Each loop returns the product to a different point in the chain that made it. The shorter the loop, the more of the product survives.
Repair fixes a broken or worn product so that it goes back into use with the same user.
Can you think of an example?
A washing machine's drum bearing fails. A repairer fits a new bearing, and the household keeps the machine instead of buying another.
Reuse returns a used product, whole, to be used again, as it is or after cleaning, often through a seller or service provider.
Can you think of an example?
An eye department at a Northampton hospital switched from single-use to reusable surgical scissors, cleaned between operations. It saved 1,000 pairs of scissors and £12,000.
Remanufacture returns a used product to a manufacturer, which takes it apart, replaces worn parts and rebuilds it to an as-new condition.
Can you think of an example?
In 2021 Leeds Teaching Hospitals bought 604 remanufactured heart catheters, saving £76,610, and earned £22,923 more by selling its used catheters to the same firm.
Recycling breaks a used product down into materials, which are turned into new parts or products.
Can you think of an example?
Aluminium drinks cans collected from homes are shredded and melted, and the metal is rolled into sheet for new cans.