As the scale of the climate crisis increases and global sustainability efforts increase, the world is becoming increasingly interested in CE circular economy policies.
This movement is attributed to the fundamental role of this economic model in providing basic solutions to global challenges at a time when many countries are trying to balance economic growth paths with the application of measures to protect the environment.
The planet is facing a real threat from the unprecedented global consumption and the increasing amounts of waste generated by this trend. However, the reality offers countries and companies the opportunity to restructure their economies and create a sustainable future for all by transforming production processes and product life cycles and increasing efficiencies.
Concept details
The circular economy helps extend the life cycle of materials that retain their highest value by providing renewable or renewable products and services that meet the needs of today's generation of consumers. To achieve this, products must be well maintained, easy to repair, restored or disassembled to maximize component utilization and reduce waste in resource consumption.
Circular economy models also help reduce resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, thus addressing a range of challenges related to climate change, resource scarcity, waste, pollution, and biodiversity degradation. Its benefits also appear in the economic and social fields, such as: b- Providing more job opportunities and improving the health of society.
Leading Transformation by Example: The GCC Countries
The concept of a circular economy is not limited to theory and future planning, it has begun to be applied in some forward-thinking countries around the world, including: The United Arab Emirates.
The UAE is keen to adopt a circular economy approach, as it joined the Circular Economy Acceleration 360 initiative in partnership with the World Economic Forum and established the UAE Circular Economy Council.
To date, the Council has approved the adoption of 22 directives under the circular economy model, covering four main sectors: manufacturing, food, infrastructure and transportation, while highlighting the many opportunities that link companies to this economic concept.
The UAE should be highlighted for its efforts to address single-use plastic challenges.
Abu Dhabi has renewed its interest in the issue by banning single-use plastic bags from July 2022, while Dubai has imposed mandatory fees on the use of plastic bags and plans to completely ban them from 2024.
Refillable water bottles are also becoming popular all over the world. For example, in the United Arab Emirates, a "Dubai initiative" was launched to promote social rationality and reduce consumption of single-use plastic containers by creating a city drinking water supply unit that could house more durable containers. Ocean. Reduce plastic consumption.
The number of these devices is expected to increase with the projected growth of this sustainable programme. The new concept has attracted the interest of many organizations in various sectors of the economy, as one of the global personal care brands has launched a plan to introduce reusable packaging in Dubai.
In this case, customers can buy reusable aluminum containers to store the brand's products instead of single-use containers.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia launched a national circular carbon economy plan and a series of initiatives to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by 82%. As it aims to accelerate progress towards achieving Vision 2030, the Kingdom is looking forward to adopting the principles of the circular economy.
world leader
European countries and other countries around the world provide many positive examples of the circular economy and initiatives to implement it. For example, the Netherlands has implemented a number of initiatives in this area, including: a pilot project to tackle discarded bed linen.
The European country faces a number of challenges related to the high cost of collecting and burning mattresses, which leads to a growing need to find sustainable solutions to this dilemma. After many difficult rounds of negotiations, five of the nation's largest mattress manufacturers and importers have agreed to introduce an Extended Product Responsibility (EPR) policy with the goal of increasing recycling rates to 75% by 2028.
The program has now achieved its goals with great success, years ahead of schedule, which has led to a shift in Dutch public interest in and use of the mattress redesign programme.
The importance of working together to achieve circular goals
The creation of a cohesive circular economy and the success of related policies depend on broad participation and cooperation among stakeholders. It should avoid adopting the traditional bureaucratic method of change and adopt the governance style of cooperation and coordination between government agencies and NGOs.
The global scenarios offer inspiring lessons and experiences that can help support efforts to develop an effective circular economy. include, for example:
Change Objectives: The first element of a successful circular economy initiative is to identify the main drivers of change and the possibilities and opportunities for stakeholders.
Managing the Transition Process Adoption and adoption of the circular economy model is collectively successful when it is supported by governing bodies such as: b. Steering committees, oversight committees, implementation teams, and other parties that have an influence on the adoption of the transition process.
Continuous review of the transformation path: Direct and immediate adoption of the circular economy is not possible because the process usually depends on a set of well-designed strategies that can be modified and developed along the transformation path depending on the vision and conclusions drawn from the journey.
On the other hand, in all initiatives related to the adoption of a circular economy, factors such as commitment, adequate financing, and the ability to effectively face challenges are very important.
The road to success
The circular economy has the potential to bring about positive and radical change in all aspects of life, including: supporting global efforts to solve climate problems, achieving sustainable development goals, and contributing to the future prosperity of businesses and companies around the world.
It is important to be aware of the challenges that come with successfully developing and implementing circular economy initiatives. Leadership in this area requires collaboration between public and private stakeholders to draw a circle that puts countries on the path to success.
The overriding factor is the need to be prepared to accept the changes that the degree program will undergo and then acquire the necessary flexibility to adapt to these changes, taking into account the different economic, cultural and sectoral characteristics between countries in the field. It must be taken into account.
Despite the diverse experiences, different situations and scenarios, the goal that everyone wants to achieve is to create a bright and sustainable future for the economy, society and the planet together.