The circular economy

Of all the materials we extract globally, only 10% ends up in products. The rest is wasted along the supply chain or dispersed into the environment, before it even reaches the hands of consumers. Even then, 80% of products end up in our waste system within six months, where they have little chance of ever returning to products again (Girling, 2011). Out of all of the materials that leave the global economy each year, only around 10% is recycled into new products, while the rest ends up in an incinerator or landfill (Haas, Krausmann, Wiederhofer & Heinz, 2015).