Isolation makes companies reassess the impact of the production process on the environment, while consumers reflect on consumption habits and waste generation
With the social isolation adopted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers are noticing how much waste is generated daily and rethinking their consumption habits, opting for products that do not generate so much waste or with waste that can return to the production chain.
Until then, we were guided by the linear consumption model, which only considers production, consumption and post-consumption disposal. This model accelerates resource depletion and does not consider waste revaluation. The pandemic has brought reflections on the need to review and change the way we consume, putting the Circular Economy in the spotlight.
This was the theme of the live held on World Environment Day (June 5) and which brought together Thais Fagury, president of the Brazilian Steel Packaging Association (Abeaço); Beatriz Luz, founder of Exchange 4 Change Brazil; Eduardo Rajabally, director and documentary filmmaker; Gui Brammer, founder and CEO of Boomera; and Sylvio Rocha, producer and managing partner of Tocha Filmes.
“We have to adopt an economy to prosper, not for growth”, emphasizes Thais when making a parallel between the Circular Economy and the Linear Economy. “We cannot return to the old (linear) model because we are not going to prosper. We must think in a cyclical way, engaging all the links in the production chain.”
According to Beatriz Luz, the motto “produce more with less” has no more space in the new reality. “This posture only delays wear and tear. The Circular Economy goes beyond the efficiency and sustainability of the production and consumption system. It requires a new mindset integrating the entire value chain, in which everything is thought out from the beginning.”
The founder of Exchange 4 Change Brasil points out that, despite the challenge of transitioning to a circular economy, the pandemic is accelerating the process. Isolation is making companies reflect on the impact of the production process on the environment, while consumers reassess the need to change and review their own consumption.
The Circular Economy is becoming a criterion for companies to develop new products, points out Gui Brammer. “Companies that eliminate post-consumer waste will gain more consumers”, he assesses. “The Circular Economy helps to think differently without sacrificing results and sustainable development.”
Eduardo Rajabally, director and documentary filmmaker, facilitated the chat. He summarized that good environmental practice is good business. This is what the feature-length documentary “A gift to prove the future” points out, which had an excerpt shown during the live. Sylvio Rocha, producer of the feature and managing partner of Tocha Filmes, believes in the role of information in awakening society. “The film is a way of reaching out to people who are not familiar with the Circular Economy, making them reflect on their share in current consumption.”
