Take, Make, Use, Lose —our society has operated on this wasteful model for centuries. No one likes the thought of waste, but busy lives and the convenience of modern living means eco-friendly practises quickly slip down the to-do list.
The world’s governments don’t exactly set a good example, either.
But with household budgets tighter than ever and leaking landfill sites, perhaps its time to reshuffle our priorities. The question is: what’s the alternative?
Enter a different kind of economy, one with community and zero waste at its centre.
Circular Economies: an alternative to wasteful living
What is a circular economy?
A circular economy is holistic, environmentally friendly, and financially sustainable. It might also be key to developing to happy, healthy, and robust communities.
Our society currently operates on a linear economy:
- We take raw materials from the earth
- We make those raw materials into consumer products
- Consumers use the products
- The products are then discarded into landfill
This linear model harms the environment and consumers. Why? Because profit takes priority over sustainability. Linear models assume that natural resources are infinite, and care little about their ecological footprint.
This harms consumers because Earth’s natural resources are finite. As raw materials become scarcer, prices skyrocket, and the number of green spaces left to enjoy depletes.
While our economy is linear, take-make-use-loose is a cycle of waste that must be broken. The health of our communities and the planet at large depends on it.
A circular economy operates differently:
- Products are made
- Consumers use the products
- Consumers reuse products instead of binning them
- Or, products are repaired to extend their life
- When an item can no longer be reused or repaired it is recycled
Circular economies are better for the environment and consumer pockets because products are kept in use for longer.
For example, reheeling a pair of broken shoes instead of throwing them away keeps a product out of landfill and saves the consumer money. And the more people reuse and repair items instead of throwing them away, the less need there is to make new products.
The 3 principles of circular economies
A circular economy is driven by 3 core principles:
- Eliminate waste and pollution
- Circulate products and materials at their highest value
- Regenerate nature
Eliminate waste and pollution.
Waste doesn’t have to be inevitable. By shifting to a circular economy, we can redesign our societies to operate on a less wasteful model. 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging are discarded in the UK every year. Many of these items end up in landfill or are incinerated, negatively impacting the environment.
A circular economy mode places importance on ‘high value economic use’. This means extending the life of a product for as long as possible. We can achieve this by reusing products, repairing broken items, and reducing how much we buy the first place. Sharing, upcycling, and remanufacturing should also be considered before recycling as a last resort.
Circulate products and materials at their highest value
Keeping products in circulation for longer leads to less waste and increases the value of products. If a product can’t be reused or repaired then its components can be remanufactured to ensure nothing is wasted. This holistic approach takes pressure off our planet’s finite resources.
Within communities this could mean sharing technology and equipment. A product’s value increases when more people are reliant on it. Consumers can also resell clothes or upcycle furniture instead of throwing them away.
Manufacturing items from biodegradable materials also extends the value of products and materials because they come back to the community via the biological cycle. For example, composted material nourishes the soil to grow new raw materials.
Regenerate nature
The third key principle of a circular economy is to regenerate nature. By moving away from a wasteful linear economy to a circular one, communities work in harmony with nature and reduce strain on our planet’s precious and finite resources.
Keeping products and materials in use for longer requires less land for generating new materials. This means more land can be used for rewilding.
Why are circular communities important?
Circular economies provide a range of benefits to rural communities:
- Cleaner environment to live in
- Boost to local economy
- Rise in employment
- Promote economic independence
How can a circular economy protect rural environments?
Circular economies reduce waste and emissions. Less waste means less pollution, which allows nature to thrive. Community orchards and gardens are a great example of a circular community at work. Trees and seeds are planted, which provide a free source of food for humans, but also birds and insects. Pollinators, like bees, help regenerate areas of land, providing a greener environment for all to enjoy.
How can a circular economy strengthen local economies?
Circular economies can provide an economic boost to rural areas. New employment opportunities, particularly in providing repair services and revitalising old industries can bring economic development to rural areas. New jobs reverse depopulation in rural towns and contribute to a thriving place to live.
More independent, resilient communities
When communities support each other, they reduce their reliance on outside help. For example, reuse and repair facilities within the town mean people don’t spend money or create emissions by buying new items. Community groups can share expertise and resources rather than compete with one another. Sustainable farming and an emphasis on renewable energy all help to empower rural communities.
How can individuals be part of a circular community?
There are 3 main ways individuals can help the transition to a circular community:
1. Consume less
Fast fashion, single use plastics, and food waste are major contributors to waste. Instead of buying new clothes you could have them altered or repaired by a local tailor. If that’s not an option then donating or selling old clothes is better than throwing them away.
Switch to reusable water bottles and a canvas shopping bag to reduce consumption of single use plastic.
2. Consume sustainably
The UK imports 46% of the food it consumes.
Where possible buying fresh, local produce is more sustainable than buying from supermarkets. Produce from the grocers, butchers, or local refill station don’t come wrapped in plastic like they do at the supermarket and have travelled less miles to reach you plate.
3. Advocate for Change
There’s only so much individuals can do within a linear economy. Until there is systematic change consumers can only do their best by making better choices. One thing that can support your town’s transition to a circular economy is promoting the use of local repair and recycling facilities. Let your friends and family know how much money they could save by changing their habits! If you’re town doesn’t have any reuse facilities, consider starting one. It could be as simple as organising a clothes swaps, shared tool library, or enjoying a ‘crafternoon’ using remnant fabric.
Inspiring circular community projects in Scotland
There are many inspiring community projects working towards a more circular Scotland. Organisations like Moray Waste Busters, a reuse charity shop that diverts items from a local recycling centre in Forres to sell in their reuse store.
SHRUB in Edinburgh, encourages students to live more sustainably. They run a swap shop, food sharing hub, bike repair hub and upcycling workshops.
In Dundee, Transform Community Development helps to prevent food waste by redistributing food from local and national suppliers. In 2022 they provided over 670,000 meals, helping to combat food waste and food poverty.
The TUCC Shop between Perth and Dundee encourage upcycling old furniture instead of buying new. They combat the 22 million pieces of furniture in the UK thrown to landfill each year by taking donations of old furniture and breathing new life into them via upcycling workshops.
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Where can I find circular community facilities near me?
Good news! There are lots of reuse, repair, and recycling facilities in Blairgowrie.
Nest Creative Spaces
Nest is more than just a craft shop — we’re Blairgowrie’s creative community hub, committed to improving wellbeing and reducing loneliness through crafts, all while keeping perfectly good, reusable material out of landfill.
We sell donated materials in our Reuse Remnants shop and run regular craft workshops where we create all manner of beautiful items from second-hand material. For example, picture frames from broken jewellery and birthday bunting from fabric scraps.
We also run courses that teach sustainable skills such as sewing and mending or altering your own clothes.
As a not-for-profit Social Enterprise, all profit goes towards funding our craft activities. We’re passionate about using crafts as an eco-friendly means to build community — why not pop into our hub at 47 Wellmeadow, Blairgowrie and say hello?
We’re open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 2pm.
Blairgowrie Library
Libraries are the lifeblood of rural communities and Blairgowrie is no different. At Blairgowrie Library you can borrow books, browse magazines, and access the Internet for free. Blairgowrie Genealogy Centre is also based within the library. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers can show you how to use the equipment and search materials to find who you’re looking for.
Blairgowrie Library opening times:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 9.30am-1pm / 1.30pm-7pm
Wednesday: 9.30am-1pm / 1.30pm-5.30pm
Thursday: 9.30am-1pm / 1.30pm-5.30pm
Friday: 8.30am-2pm
Saturday: 9.30am-1pm
Sunday: Closed
Booklore
Booklore is Blairgowrie’s second-hand bookshop. Run by local volunteers, you can buy used books at a fraction of the cost of new books. There’s also a Collectors Corner where users can seek out unusual or rare tomes for their collection.
Booklore also has a wealth of information on the Blairgowrie & Rattray area.
Opening times:
Monday to Saturday from 10.00am to 4.00pm.
Buy used books at a fraction of the price of new books
Bari Store
The Bari Store sell and give away surplus food from the local supermarkets and Community Fare Share. They also help prevent unwanted clothing going to landfill with pre-loved school uniform giveaways.
Opening times:
Monday: 2pm – 3pm
Wednesday: 4pm – 6pm
Thursday: 9.30am – 10.30 am
Saturday: 1pm – 3pm
Repair Café
Blairgowrie & Rattray Repair Café fix small household items in need of repairs such as small electrical appliances, clocks, jewellery, toys, or clothes. Volunteers repair items free of charge to stop perfectly reusable things going to landfill.
The Repair Café visit Nest on the last Saturday of each month, 10.30am – 12.30pm.
Strathmore Men’s Shed
The Men’s Shed meets fortnightly and is a place for members to share tools and resources. Members can work on personal projects of their choosing at their own pace in a safe, friendly, and inclusive venue. The Men’s Shed usual activities include woodcraft like carpentry, joinery, and turning, but also gardening, repairing electronics, and tool renovation.
Visit the Men’s Shed Facebook page for information on meet-ups.
Blairgowrie also has many charity shops, second-hand furniture shops, and local growers and makers. Supporting local where possible is one of the best ways to transition towards a circular economy within the town.
Organisations that promote circular communities
If you’d like to further research the benefits of a circular economy in rural areas, here’s a handy list of organisations working to promote and support circular communities.
If you liked this blog post, you might enjoy reading How To Upcycle Sustainably and 6 Ways To Be More Sustainable In Your Craft.
If you’re really fired up about the environment you might take to Craftivism!