Environmental pollution and degradation have become a major challenge to most developing countries many of which are found in Africa. Keeping major cities in Africa clean is a “Herculean” task that requires huge amount of resources with respect to financial, human, natural and political will.

Circular economy is a system of resources utilization where reduction, reuse and recycling of elements prevails: minimize production to a bare minimum, and when it's necessary to use the product, go for the reuse of the elements that cannot return to the environment. Simply put, Circular economy ensures that, by-products of one production line becomes the raw produce of another production and in effect manage and minimize pollution by reusing materials which would have played the role of a pollutant.

There are ten principles that define how circular economy should work:

1. Waste becomes a resource: is the main feature. All the biodegradable material returns to the nature
2. Second use: reintroduce in the economic circuit those products that no longer correspond to the initial consumers’ needs.
3. Reuse: reuse certain products or parts of those products that still work to elaborate new artifacts.
4. Reparation: find damage products a second life.
5. Recycle: make use of materials founded in waste

 

By: Dr. Ebenezer Osei Jones

#KeepCitiesClean
#BecomeACharteredEnvironmentalist
#www.ioeaghana.com

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Sources:

• Lecciones de la naturaleza and El Mundo (March, 2020) Expok,
• Fundación para la economía circular,
• Retrieved from https://www.activesustainability.com/sustainable-development/what-is-circular-economy/