Session 4: Eliminate Waste: The Circular Economy

Look around you for one object that you own.

Start thinking…

Where did it come from?

What materials is it made of?

What happens when you no longer need or want it?

What can you do instead of throwing it away?

Not everything needs to be thrown away.

Most things end up being thrown away because of the way they are designed, not because we make a choice just to throw them away.

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Today we’re going to challenge the idea that things ever need to become waste in the first place.

Today’s Big Question:

What if waste wasn’t waste and

everything we made could become

something new?

PATHWAY 1

The Circular Economy

• E-waste wastes precious materials
• Circular systems keep materials in use
• Repair and recycling close the loop

10 mins

PATHWAY 2

Stealing Nature’s Strategy

• Nature wastes nothing
• Decomposers keep nutrients cycling
• Design can copy nature's loops

10 mins

What if waste wasn't waste and everything we

made could become something new?

z

Finished? Complete the Sustainability Crossword

Rewrite The Story

Your pair will be allocated one of the story starters below.

You have 3 minutes to write down the starter and finish the story to explain what normally happens next. Aim for three to four sentences.

Rewrite The Story

You have 5 minutes to rewrite the story so that there is no waste.

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For example:

Factory → Shop → Bought → Used → Broken → Bin → Landfill

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Could become:

Factory → Shop → Used → Repaired → Used again → Donated → Refurbished → Recycled into new phone

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Write four to five sentences, using some of these ideas from the ITZA pathways: repair, reuse, sharing, refurbishment, recycling or composting.

Rewrite The Story

Swap your original and rewritten stories with the pair next to you.

Read through both versions, then share feedback with each other.

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Discuss:

1. Which version is linear, and which is circular?
2. What is the best improvement that they made?
3. Are there any other things that they could add to make even greater improvements?

WE HAVE COVERED:

• What e-waste is and why it is the fastest-growing type of waste
• The difference between a linear system and a circular economy
• How natural systems model circular thinking
• The role of biomimicry and the Cradle to Cradle framework
• Realistic steps to keep materials in use for longer

Learner Journal

Part 1: Three Things I Learnt Today

Open your Learner Journal. Write down three things you learnt. These can be facts, ideas, or things that surprised you.

If you could redesign one everyday product using Cradle to Cradle principles, what would it be and what would you change?

Write your response in your Learner Journal, then finish sections 3-5.

Learner Journal

Part 2: Reflective Question

“Waste does not exist in nature. In natural systems, the output of one organism is the input for another. Waste is entirely a human invention.” Tom Szaky, circular economy entrepreneur (2014)

Waste isn't inevitable, it is a design choice. By shifting from a linear system to nature's circular model, we can eliminate waste at the source and keep precious resources in continuous motion.

Lock-In Quote

Extension Activities

Extension 1

Extension 2

Bowerbird Bottletops

A Sole-ful Transformation