A New Plastics Economy in Scotland

I was very pleased to see recently that the Scottish Government have signed a commitment to the Ellen McArthur Foundation’s New Plastic Economy which promotes a circular economy for plastics use.

The site and videos are well worth a look Circular Economy - UK, USA, Europe, Asia & South America - The Ellen MacArthur Foundation

The current linear economy on almost all things means that goods are produced, used and discarded without an intended re-use of any of the parts. Recycling is a consequence of this, not a planned step in the cycle.

In a circular economy every component of a product has a recycle path when its time comes to stop using it. The original manufacturer would most likely take back the product, break it down and use the components to build new products or be able to break down that component to build something else.

You can read more about the Scottish Government’s actions and commitments here

Managing waste: New Plastics Economy global commitment - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

I hope in the future circular economies can also be developed for our electrical goods, clothing and homeware items.