Rethinking Waste

Circular economy

What can't easily be recycled?

Does recycling require energy?

What happens when recycled materials lose quality?

Who should be responsible for waste: consumers or companies?

Watch the video and choose the best answer.

What is the main difference between recycling and a circular economy?

a. Recycling eliminates the need for raw materials completely.

b. A circular economy tries to redesign the whole production system to keep materials in use for longer.

c. Recycling is more ambitious than the circular economy.

d. A circular economy focuses mainly on reducing packaging.

Decide whether the statements are True (T) or False (F). Correct the false statements.

Recycling and the circular economy are exactly the same concept. 

Recycled products in a linear economy may eventually become waste. 

A completely self-sufficient production cycle is easy to achieve. 

Some new materials will probably always be necessary. 

Moving towards a circular economy involves high initial costs. 

Consumers have little influence over companies' environmental decisions. 

SC Johnson and Unilever are experimenting with refillable packaging. 

Governments can influence the transition towards circular economies. 

Case Study:IKEA Buyback & Resell service

Have you ever bought or sold second-hand furniture?
Why do people throw away furniture that is still usable?
Would you return your old furniture for store credit? Why or why not?

Listen and complete the notes.

IKEA will buy back ______________________________.
The programme will take place in ______ countries.
Customers can receive a voucher worth up to ________ of the original price.
Returned furniture may be:
□ repaired
□ resold
□ recycled
□ donated

One environmental benefit mentioned is that furniture stays out of __________________________.

Do you think IKEA's Buy Back programme is mainly about:
☐ protecting the environment
☐ attracting customers
☐ increasing profits
☐ all of the above

Planned Obsolescence 

Planned obsolescence is a business strategy in which a product is intentionally designed to become outdated, wear out, or be difficult to repair after a certain period of time. This encourages customers to buy a new product sooner than necessary. In simple terms: A product is designed to have a limited useful life so that consumers replace it instead of keeping it.

Case Study: John Deere and the Right to Repair

Farmers often know which part of their tractors needs replacing, but they may not be able to complete the repair because access to diagnostic software and tools is restricted.

The machine may be mechanically repaired, but without access to the necessary software, it may still be unable to operate.

This raises an important question: If you buy a product, should you also have the right to repair it?

The dispute involving John Deere has become an important example of the Right to Repair movement. Farmers and independent repair businesses have argued that restrictions on diagnostic software force customers to rely on authorized dealers, increasing costs and potentially causing costly operational downtime.

Supporters of the Right to Repair argue that easier access to repair tools can reduce costs, extend the lifecycle of machinery and support a more circular economy.

Manufacturers, however, argue that they also need to protect safety, cybersecurity and intellectual property.

Watch the video and discuss

Is repairing a product always better than replacing it?

Should companies be required to share repair information and diagnostic tools?

How could the Right to Repair change a company's business model?

What other industries could be affected by similar regulations?

Would you pay more for a product guaranteed to be repairable for ten years?

Key Vocabulary Glossary — Circular Economy & Business Sustainability

Term	Definition
authorized dealer	A business officially approved by a manufacturer to sell, service or repair its products.
buy-back programme	A system in which a company buys or takes back products previously purchased by customers.
circular economy	An economic model that keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible through repair, reuse, refurbishment and recycling.
diagnostic software	Software used to identify problems or faults in a machine or device.
durability	The ability of a product to remain in good condition and function for a long time.
eligible	Meeting the necessary conditions or requirements to participate in something.
intellectual property	Ideas, inventions, designs or technology legally owned and protected by a person or company.
landfill	A place where waste is disposed of and buried in the ground.
lifecycle	The period from a product's creation to the end of its useful life.
operational downtime	A period when equipment or systems cannot operate, causing work or production to stop.
planned obsolescence	A strategy in which products are designed to become outdated, wear out or become difficult to repair, encouraging replacement.
pre-loved	A positive marketing term for something that has been previously owned or used.
product lifecycle	The complete period during which a product is produced, used and eventually reused, recycled or disposed of.
refurbished	Used products that have been inspected, repaired and restored to good working condition.
repairability	The degree to which a product can be easily and affordably repaired.
resale	The act of selling a product again after it has already been owned or used.
Right to Repair	The principle that consumers should have access to the parts, tools, software and information needed to repair products they own.
software update	A new version or modification of software designed to improve, fix or maintain a device or system.
spare parts	Components used to replace damaged or broken parts of a product.
sustainability	Using resources in ways that meet current needs without damaging the environment or limiting future generations' ability to meet their needs.
trade-in programme	A system in which customers return an old product and receive credit toward the purchase of another one.
voucher	A document, card or digital credit that can be exchanged for products or services.
warranty	A company's promise to repair or replace a product if it develops certain problems within a specified period.