Shifting towards a circular economy

SGGP 08/21/2023 08:47

Faced with the increasingly negative impact of environmental pollution and resource depletion on human life, many countries have proactively built and developed a circular economy - an economic model that optimizes resource profits and is sustainable.

Singapore's Semakau artificial garbage island

Changing consumer thinking

Europe is at the forefront of developing the circular economy. To do so, the European Commission calls on stakeholders, from government agencies, mining companies, processors, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers, waste collectors, etc. to participate in this type of economy. According to forecasts from environmental experts, the circular economy can help Europe earn about 600 billion EUR (651 billion USD) per year, create 580,000 new jobs and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

With the motto "changing consumer thinking will inevitably lead to changing production thinking", Sweden is one of the bright spots in developing a circular economy through changing people's awareness and encouraging businesses to develop a green economy. This country has built a clear legal system between economic development and environmental protection by imposing high taxes on waste, and at the same time issuing preferential policies for the use of renewable energy from hydropower and biofuels... Thanks to that, Sweden recycles 53% of plastic materials used in social life, 50% of waste in the construction industry, and recycles 99% of waste into electricity. Sweden sets ambitious goals for sustainability, including no use of fossil fuels and 100% use of renewable energy by 2045.

Finland is one of the first countries in the world to develop a roadmap towards a circular economy (2016-2025). The roadmap aims to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels, minerals, non-metals, etc., and increase the sustainable use of renewable natural resources, increasing resource efficiency.

Since 2018, the French Government has announced a roadmap for developing a circular economy model, turning waste into raw materials for industrial production. France has set a goal of reducing waste by 50% by 2025, making the most of waste and scrap to create new products and continuing to find ways to encourage businesses to produce products that are as sustainable as possible.

Meanwhile, in Germany, the circular economy is built on a “top-down” model. Since 1996, the German government has issued a law on waste management and closed-cycle, with the core idea of ​​“material circulation”. On that basis, Germany promotes many models of waste reduction, reuse, recycling and waste incineration to produce electricity and heat, providing fuel for other industries.

Typical in Asia

In Asia, Singapore has become a model for promoting a circular economy. As an island nation with very limited natural resources, since 1980, Singapore has developed waste-to-energy technology by building 4 factories to treat 90% of the country's waste with a capacity of up to 1,000 tons of waste per day. With the remaining 10% of waste, Singapore has creatively turned it into Semakau Island - the world's first artificial garbage island.

China approached the circular economy model after a period of excessive use of natural resources and causing many environmental consequences. In 2008, the country passed a bill related to the circular economy. In 2018, China and the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding on circular economy cooperation. China has built 3 stages to develop the circular economy including: small circular cycle (implemented at the factory and industrial park scale); medium circular cycle (expanding the scale); and large circular cycle (implemented across the entire economy).

In Japan, the government has been aiming to become a “recycling-based society” since 1991 through the promulgation and implementation of many related legal documents. The country aims to expand the size of its domestic economy to 80,000 billion yen (about 549 billion USD) by 2030, focusing on reducing carbon emissions through the reuse of products and resources.

Circular economy is an economic model based on the elements: recycle, reuse, reduce, renew and reproduce. The purpose of circular economy is to maximize product value, minimize resource consumption and prevent waste generation.

According to the United Nations Development Agency, by 2030, the benefits of a circular economy will bring the world 4,500 billion USD and support 10/17 UN sustainable development targets.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/chuyen-dich-theo-huong-kinh-te-tuan-hoan-post702386.html