Welcome to the Circular Economy: The Next Step in Sustainable Living

In this guide to living sustainably, author Claire Potter introduces the reader to the concept of the 'circular economy.' In this system, no waste is generated, nothing enters, and nothing leaves. Rather than the 'linear economy,' or even the 'recycling economy,' in which waste goes directly to the landfill or is mediated by recycling processes before the excess arrives at the landfill, the circular economy strives to refuse (unnecessary materials), reduce (consumption), reuse, repair, refill, and repurpose, and regenerate materials so that landfills become irrelevant relics of our destructive and wasteful past. Potter exhorts us to make this circular economy a reality, beginning with our own lives. You're moving and getting rid of furniture and supplies you don't need anymore? Talk to your neighbor down the street, your cousin, your coworkers, and really anyone else to find a new home for it instead of sending it off to the dump. Through simple acts like this one, and other small but significant steps, you can reduce your carbon footprint, the amount of waste you produce, and make the circular economy that much closer to becoming a reality. A brilliantly written and accessible guide to living more gently and consuming and using resources more thoughtfully.