Some countries have begun incorporating circular economy principles into their disaster response and reconstruction plans as the damage caused by natural catastrophes increases. This contributes to make the most of the disaster's waste and debris, as well as strength the country's ability to deal with those affected by disasters.
The Importance of Circular Economy
Circular economy refers to the transformation of an economic system based on reducing resource consumption while reusing or recycling them in production, distribution, and consumption processes, in order to achieve sustainable development, improve environmental quality, and ensure economic prosperity and social justice for current and future generations.
To clarify this, it is important to note that our current economic system is a "linear economy, based on a paradigm that involves extracting raw materials from nature, transforming them into products, and then disposing of them as waste. Circular economy, on the other hand, attempts to reduce waste and promote the sustainable use of natural resources through recycling processes. It also helps to address the problem of pollution, as well as the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Circular economy processes can be used in a variety of industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, and construction.
The following economic facts and estimates demonstrate the importance of strengthening international trends towards a circular economy:
1. A desire to increase recycling rate:
Currently, only 7.2% of wasted materials are recycled back into the economy after being used, compared to about 8.6% in 2020 and 9.1% in 2018.
2. Reducing material consumption rates:
Over the last two decades, material consumption has increased by more than 65% globally, reaching 95.1 billion metric tons in 2019. Currently, the global economy consumes 100 billion tons of materials per year, and this figure is expected to rise to 190 billion tons by 2060 unless urgent action is taken. This necessitates the implementation of materials management strategies and their effective use through the use of the circular economy. According to studies, returning to proper consumption limits will necessitate the extraction and consumption of materials globally by a third. One of the most essential processes required to achieve this is the transition to a circular economy, as implementing circular solutions across major systems may meet the world's needs with only 70% of the resources currently utilized.
3. Creating additional job opportunities:
According to the International Labor Organization, governments around the world may create 6 million jobs by 2030 if they implement more circular economy operations such as recycling, repair, and remanufacturing.
Facing Natural Disasters
According to estimates by the global insurance company AON, economic losses caused by natural disasters worldwide in 2022 will be around USD 313 billion, including USD 299 billion in losses caused by climate events. The company's estimates showed that losses totaled nearly USD 194 billion in the first half of 2023, the greatest value recorded compared to the same period in the previous decade (2013-2023). The World Meteorological Organization also indicated that extreme weather events have resulted in USD 4.3 trillion in economic losses.
Circular economy plays an essential role in dealing with the negative consequences of disasters and reconstruction efforts, as well as in reducing natural disasters, particularly those caused by climate change, as detailed below:
1. Disaster response and reconstruction operations:
Circular economy contributes to this through:
A. Integrating circular economy into disaster management plans: With increasing disaster losses, some countries have begun to develop disaster management and risk reduction action plans that include the use of circular economy mechanisms and principles during all stages of disaster response, including preparedness, response, and recovery. Incorporating the circular economy into disaster management strategies begins with a shift in the culture and mindset of economic actors, government, and civil society to embrace circular economy ideas.
B. Considering circular economy in dealing with those affected: By designing temporary housing that can be dismantled, reused, and recycled, circular economy can play an important role in the provision of temporary housing for those affected by natural disasters, so that the unit can be dismantled and reassembled elsewhere for other uses, residential or otherwise, in response to changing local needs. Several scientific research have been conducted on this subject, proposing various models and designs for these housing units.
C. Benefiting from circular economy in waste and debris management operations: Circular economy processes can be incorporated into reconstruction processes in earthquake-affected communities, through rapid waste removal, treatment, and recycling. This is done by moving disaster waste generated in impacted areas to storage locations, where it is segregated by type and employed in either energy generating or recycling activities. Concrete waste, for example, can be recycled by using it in reclamation operations in excavated areas or in landscaping engineering.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, disaster waste management plans and operations are divided into four stages, which are as follows:
- The first stage consists of immediate and short-term procedures aimed at collecting the most hazardous waste or those that must be eliminated in order to preserve lives, alleviate suffering, and facilitate rescue operations.
- The second stage consists of medium-term measures and focuses on optimizing waste collection logistics, temporary disposal facilities for various types of waste, and waste separating sites.
- The third stage involves long-term measures and focuses on ensuring that the disaster waste management program meets the community's expectations and needs as waste management facilities, machinery, and equipment are purchased or repaired. This phase should culminate in the treatment of all disaster waste, whether by disposal, incineration, reuse, or recycling.
- The fourth stage is known as the emergency planning stage and is not strictly part of the disaster response. It includes long-term procedures that contribute to preparedness before the disaster occurs, such as developing strategies to deal with and remove debris, identifying types of potential waste and debris and predicting their quantities, and pre-selection of temporary waste and debris storage sites.
2. Reducing climate-related natural disasters:
Using circular economy principles helps to reduce the phenomenon of global warming, and hence the potential of climate-related disasters in general. The implementation of these principles aids in the preservation of environmental systems by focusing on the use of fewer resources for a longer length of time, as well as the use of clean energy resources. These are the guiding principles:
A. A lesser use: Reducing the use of materials and energy and improving its efficiency.
B. A longer period use: Keeping materials in use for as long as feasible, which minimizes long-term demand and material extraction rates.
C. The use of clean and renewable resources: This is based on the gradual elimination of fossil fuels, harmful or toxic materials, and processes, as well as the transition to renewable and clean energy resources.
D. Another use: Making the most of materials by recycling and reusing them helps to increase the volume of secondary materials that rejoin the economy again.
The circular economy and climate change mitigation are also linked. Transitioning to a circular economy has the potential to minimize CO2 emissions from extractive industries, manufacturing processes, construction, transportation, and other sources. Circular economy methods, for example, are predicted to reduce emissions by up to 61% in the building sector alone.
Japan Leads as an Example
Japan is one of the most important countries in terms of disaster preparedness, and it is also one of the countries that has embraced circular economy concepts the most. Since 1999, Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry has established the "Circular Economy Vision," and the country has adopted numerous recycling legislation. Based on the predicted volume of waste, the Japanese government is constantly developing waste management plans. Japan’s 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami included:
1. Emergency plans:
Some provinces' emergency plans prepared before to the earthquake enabled them to respond to the waste management situation more rapidly.
2. Guidance notes:
The Japanese Ministry of the Environment provided municipalities with clear guidance notes on how to handle disaster debris in order to ensure consistency in the overall approach to cleanup, separation, off-site transportation, and final disposal of debris, and emphasized the importance of maximizing recycling opportunities.
3. Waste recycling:
After being separated, some of the waste was reused. Logs, for example, were utilized in paper mills, chopped wood was used as fuel in cement production processes, and rubble was recycled and reused as building materials or road paving.
Challenges of Implementation
Despite the importance of circular economy and its role in managing natural disasters and reconstruction processes, there are numerous limitations that may restrict its efficacy and spread, including the following:
1. Weak international application rates:
Not every country in the world understands the circular economy's potential or has a clear strategy for applying its procedures and principles. According to the United Nations Development Programme, countries must include the circular economy in their climate change and carbon reduction policies, often known as "nationally determined contributions" (NDC). Only 27% of NDCs included the circular economy as of May 2023.
2. A difficulty in obtaining the necessary financing:
Companies, particularly small and medium-sized ones, are frequently unable to get adequate capital to transition from linear to circular business models or systems.
The importance of circular economy in dealing with natural disasters mandates its international adoption, as well as some incentive measures to assist companies in transitioning from a linear to a circular system. These include reducing taxes, offering grants for research and development, and providing low-interest loans enable businesses to purchase recycling technology.
