If you still don't know what the Circular Economy is, we invite you to read This blog where we explain to you in a very simple way what this term is about, which proposes a change in our production and consumption models, to make them more efficient and increasingly less dependent on the extraction of virgin raw material. From this perspective, we talk about what has become popular as “3R”: reduce, reuse, recycle.
In that order, this economy proposes to reduce as much as possible the extraction of virgin raw material from natural environments, to reuse existing and produced materials as much as possible, and finally, to recycle. But how are these last two different?
RECYCLING AND REUSE ARE NOT SYNONYMOUS
Although they are concepts that may be related, on a technical level and in terms of waste management, talking about reuse is not the same as recycling.
RECYCLE: refers to the process of collecting, processing and transforming used or discarded materials into new products. Recycling necessarily involves a process of physico-chemical transformation of the material, of decomposition or transformation of original materials to create new products or raw materials.
If we take paper recycling as an example, this would involve recovering waste paper, processing it to remove impurities and damaged fibers, and then converting it into new paper or another product.
REUSE: when we talk about reusing instead, we refer to the act of use an object or material for a new purpose, without it having undergone a process of physico-chemical transformation. This practice seeks to give a second life to the object, avoiding its disposal after its first use but without subjecting it to any extra processing.
WHY DOES THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY PRIORITIZE REUSE OVER RECYCLING?
Based on the logic of the Circular Economy, reuse is generally preferable to recycling because the former requires fewer processes after its post-consumer recovery, and therefore, there is greater use and efficiency of existing resources.
An ideal example to illustrate this are beer bottles: If we have a six pack of disposable glass bottle beers, the material is undoubtedly recyclable, but to ensure that it is in fact recycled, several previous processes are necessary, starting with the recovery from the source and the transfer to the companies that process the material (which do not always operate in Latin American countries), including physico-chemical transformation processes; on the other hand, if we use returnable bottles (such as liter bottles, which are usually returned to stores) this container will be easily reused after a washing process.
In this sense, returnability is a practice that makes it easier to reuse certain materials, so it is important to promote it to promote a Circular Economy.
RECIVECI MANAGES AND PROMOTES RECYCLING AND RETURNABILITY SYSTEMS
The path to a Circular Economy is necessary if we really want to see environmental changes, and in this chain of management of recyclable materials, it is important to highlight that in countries such as Ecuador, Peru and most Latin American countries (where we do not have efficient waste management systems), the little recovery of recyclable material that exists is due to the work of basic recyclable recyclers, mostly not recognized.
That's why at ReciVeci we work to bridge that gap with the help of ReciApp, the mobile application that connects all the actors in the waste chain, and that allows you to find and contact basic recyclers who recover recyclable or returnable material in your area. In this way, we promote the separation of waste from the source (homes, offices, companies), and we promote the direct and classified delivery of recyclable material without them having to mine in garbage.
Download the ReciApp and recycle with ReciveCI!
If you want to know more about the Circular Economy, visit the Ellen McArthur Foundation website.
