Move Away From Linear, Embrace Circular Economy: A Case for China - Essay Sample

Introduction

The article primarily argues about the need to move away from a linear economy and replace it with a circular economy. According to the author, linear economies work by sourcing production raw materials at one point in the supply chain and release wastes at the other end. Such a move has the economy and industrial capability of China soar over a short time. The case of China also exhibits the haste with which industrial growth occurs in the context of the linear economy. However, the major constraint of the linear economy is its dependence on virgin materials, which have to be extracted from other parts of the globe (Prieto-Sandoval, 2016, July). The extraction comes in the effort to quench the thirst of the growing industries that have depended on the raw materials.

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Another prudent argument of the article is the hazards that come with the embracement of the linear economy. For instance, the dependence on virgin materials does not consider the sustainability of the production industries that largely depend on raw materials. In essence, the pure nature of the raw materials implies that they could be depleted, making it hardly possible for the affected industries to survive (Mathews & Tan, 2016). Besides, the production of commodities from virgin materials means that companies produce wastes without the proper way of discarding them. The practice of linear economy works on the assumption that while the necessities are limitless, the wastes find a way out of the surface of the earth without human effort. Such an assumption is insensible and mirrors the ills of the linear economy.

Following the issues that accompany the deployment of the linear economy, the document posits that countries need to embrace the circular economy. Notably, a circular economy entails the reuse of materials instead of necessarily depending on the exploitation of the earth's surface Geisendorf & Pietrulla, 2018). Embracing the circular economy, according to the article, is a prudent step towards ensuring the security of the resources in industrial productions. What is more, the circular economy initiative is a vital step towards addressing the problem of wastes across major cities across the globe. Also termed urban mining, the circular economy uses previous scraps as current materials for production. However, the implementation of the circular economy initiative calls for the collaboration of production companies and industries, with most being unwilling to work collectively (Mair & Stern, 2017).

I opine that the document makes a logical and healthy argument, especially during the growing need to conserve the environment. First, the current environmental issues result from the industrial activities of the linear economy. For instance, Liu (2017) asserts that China, which has the most significant industrial might across the globe, is responsible for 25% of the contributions to global warming (MacArthur, 2013). Such contributions arise from the continued extraction of virgin materials and dumping the resultant wastes. Such a fact signifies the detriment of the linear economy. While the exploitation of global resources is harmful to the ecosystem, the resultant wastes worsen the situation.

Moreover, I consider the circular economy to be more suited to the current environmental situation than the linear economy. Notably, the world is facing multiple environmental problems, with global warming being the most significant issue. It is, therefore, prudent for the current industries across the globe to consider ways of addressing wastes that arise from their activities. Among many ways of tackling the waste issue, such sectors can consider finding ways to reuse the scraps, instead of disposing of them. For example, Saito (2016) argues that the food system, for instance, could be localized to reduce the generation of wastes and promote environmental sustainability through waste reduction and nutrient recycling. Therefore, I opine that industries across the globe should try to embrace the circular economy by reusing and recycling the wastes, in the effort to address resource security and limit ecological pollution.

References

Liu, C. (2017). Conventional mining emission of methane and contributions to regional global warming in northeastern cities in China (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh).

Saito, H. (2016). Recommendations for Independently-owned Vancouver Cafes to Achieve Zero Waste Targets: The Importance of Participating in the Circular Economy, Sharing Education, and Networking.

Mathews, J. A., & Tan, H. (2016). Circular economy: lessons from China. Nature, 531(7595), 440-442.

MacArthur, E. (2013). Towards the circular economy. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2, 23-44.

Mair, C., & Stern, T. (2017). Cascading utilization of wood: a matter of circular economy?. Current Forestry Reports, 3(4), 281-295.

Hu, J., Xiao, Z., Zhou, R., Deng, W., Wang, M., & Ma, S. (2011). Ecological utilization of leather tannery waste with a circular economy model. Journal of Cleaner Production, 19(2-3), 221-228.

Geisendorf, S., & Pietrulla, F. (2018). The circular economy and circular economic concepts-a literature analysis and redefinition. Thunderbird International Business Review, 60(5), 771-782.

Prieto-Sandoval, V., Jaca Garcia, C., & Ormazabal Goenaga, M. (2016, July). Circular Economy: An economic and industrial model to achieve the sustainability of society. In Proceedings of the 22nd Annual International Sustainable Development Research Society Conference. Rethinking Sustainability Models and Practices: Challenges for the New and Old World Contexts (Vol. 2, pp. 504-520). Lisbon: ISDRS.