What Goes Around Comes Around

Environmentalism is more than just a buzzword or a lofty ideal. As humanity's impact on the earth's ecosystems becomes more apparent, it is more important than ever to build a sustainable path forward. Working to create a green society isn't just the right thing to do for the planet; it's the right thing to do to ensure a future for those growing up in a changing world. Recycling and reducing your personal consumption can help, but is there more that you can do? It turns out that the answer is "Absolutely!" Embracing the circular economy is one significant step that your business can take to help create a brighter future.

Don't Be a Square: Go Circular

The essential concept of circular economy products is not new, but it's a term that's only reached popular consciousness over the last several years. The ideal of the circular economy is straightforward: create product chains that loop back around on themselves, ultimately resulting in a self-sufficient production cycle that doesn't require additional material inputs. Of course, avoiding new material inputs entirely is impossible, especially once the energy requirements of recycling are considered. Like chasing any ideal, however, there is value in reaching for the stars even if you know you'll never touch them.

In practice, this means doing everything possible to minimize both material and energy inputs into any production chain. Depending on where your business falls in the product cycle, there are multiple ways that you can help to contribute to this goal. The obvious answer is to buy products (or materials) that are produced from recycled materials, but there's more that you can do. Since the purpose of a circular economy is to be self-sustaining, it is also crucial to purchase products that can themselves be recycled once they are no longer required.

Paying It Forward

When you participate in a circular supply chain, your efforts are "paying it forward" for future generations. In a more practical sense, you are also ensuring that the goods produced or sold by your business will not end up in a landfill sometime in the future. To genuinely follow through with this goal, it is vital to understand both the production cycle that was used to create the products you purchase and its likely life cycle after it has been sold. This extra step is what truly separates a circular product cycle from a simple recycling chain.

Making It Work

Does this sound like a lot of work? Unfortunately, it is, but most things worth doing take effort. To help create a sustainable future, it is important to integrate a green mindset into all aspects of your business decisions. By taking the extra time to research the full life cycle of the products you sell or the materials that you use, you can use your business to make a positive contribution to the world's future. It doesn't hurt that sustainable businesses tend to be more successful as well.

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