Circular Economy - another buzzword?
Around 250 people attended the first Circular Economy conference in Switzerland on June 27. Thus, the event in the Markthalle in Langenthal was sold out, which was a surprise for the organizers. The speakers understood how to present the topics, which are rather new for Switzerland, in a catchy way.
Professor Ken Webster of Exeter University giving his keynote lecture in Langenthal.
Circular Economy is still largely untrodden territory for Switzerland, although circular economy is a concept that is already twenty years old. So it was high time that NZZ Conference took the initiative to hold an event on this topic.
Circular economy refers to a regenerative system in which resources are not only reused, but the energy and material cycles are closed as far as possible. Circular economy is thus much more than just recycling - it is about slowing down production cycles, repairing products and multiple use, for example with sharing models.
The mantra of the circular economy could therefore be: Produce less, sell less, earn more.
Circular Economy also implies respect for the resources used and does not simply want to reduce environmental damage, but to minimize the consumption of materials through closed cycles of use - from damage limitation to conservation. This attitude is associated with a fundamentally different economic philosophy.
With the founding of Circular Economy Switzerland in the spring of this year, a platform for companies, administration and other stakeholders has now also been created. The association pursues the goal of making the Swiss economy more circular and sees itself as a coordination and exchange platform. In his presentation, Ken Webster (pictured above) from Exeter University clearly showed how we have set up our economy in a linear fashion up to now: Produce, consume, dispose. The new model goes something like this: Produce, consume, regenerate - without using fossil fuels.
Against the backdrop of our excessive resource consumption and simultaneous population growth, we marketing and communications experts are called upon to make our accompanying educational contribution towards a regenerative circular economy.
