The “circular economy” involves sharing, leasing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling. It is an antidote to “the throw away economy” that so blights our environments and ends up in landfill.
It develops naturally in times of shortage and low incomes. My grandmother would have called it “make do and mend”. Today the circular economy is about both saving money and doing our bit for the environment. These are big drivers of change making it an opportunity (or a necessity) in many categories.
eBay is an early hero of this movement, as is whoever rebadged “second hand clothes” as “vintage”. My local WhatsApp group, started as a community notice board during the pandemic, has also become a place where we give away things to neighbours that we used to throw away. Signs of the circular economy are emerging in many categories
Ikea now buys back used products and offers customers both “assembly” and “disassembly instructions”
BikeFlip delivers used children’s bikes and swaps them out for larger models as your children grow
Nudie Jeans– offers free repairs for all their jeans at their shops
Chilly bottles -desirable refillables to cure you of your plastic bottle buying habit.
Even the kings of overpriced, over consumption- Apple– are now doing trade ins. It quite a change from when they just used to sell you a bright shiny new model every year.
Sides to middle sheets (See picture)- The circular economy of an earlier generation. My grandmother always used to cut worn bed sheets down the middle and then stitch the sides to the middle. You did end up sleeping on a seam but the sheets lasted twice as long. Perhaps a new service from your local dry cleaners ?