Melissa Radiwon, RRS
[email protected]

The 37th Annual MRC Conference started with a bang last week as Steph Kersten-Johnston, director of innovation at The Recycling Partnership, led with a keynote address focused on the topic of circular economy. 

We're all feeling the pinch from market pressures, but big brands are out there seeking our help, and there's never been a better opportunity to begin leveraging your skills and interests to create jobs and prosperity right here in Michigan..."if we play our cards right," said Kersten-Johnston. 

The term circular economy has grown in popularity and become a buzz word, synonymous with sustainability. Kersten-Johnston put emphasis on the systems approach and the systemic change that needs to occur to achieve a circular economy. 

"The underlying message is that whether we're extracting renewable or finite resources, we should be creating a system that keeps them in circulation for as long as possible," Kersten-Johnston said. "In other words, if we're going to use energy to extract materials, and labor to process them, let's ensure we're making the most of them once we've done that." 

Our current economy is oriented around an endless goal of growth and has led to insatiable consumption. World population is doubling every 43 years, CO2 is growing on a steeper path, and world GDP is accelerating reflective of escalating consumption. 

"In building our economy around a consumption-based system, and setting a precedent for developing countries to follow...we have dealt ourselves a time-bomb. Because we do not have adequate mechanisms in our system to manage the continual extraction of raw materials, the material outputs at the end of their life, or the impact of greenhouse gas emissions throughout this process."

The circular economy is in direct competition with the traditional linear economic model of take-make-waste and requires actors at every level to create the shift. Kersten-Johnston emphasized that "systems change when the relationships and patterns within it re-orient toward new outcomes and goals." 

"We can't fix a system, but we can shift conditions, relationships, and patterns to unlock new paradigms." 

Using plastics as an example, landscape-level change is akin to the growing environmental consciousness and change in social values via climate strikes and reports of whales with plastic bags in their stomachs. Regime level change is seen in the use of social media, an everyday tool spreading awareness and new social values. And niche level change is experienced through innovations in technology - chemical recycling, seaweed straws, and new business models. 

"Change is in the air, and while plastics dominates the circular economy conversation...we can either dismiss it or embrace it as an entry point. With fashion and textiles hot on the heels of plastics, I believe it won't be long before every industry, every material type, every commodity is subject to the same scrutiny." 

She also highlighted several enablers and ingredients that will be critical to facilitating the transition: 

• Management of material flows
• Design
• Business models
• Policy
• Data
• Technology
• Changing customer preferences

Kersten-Johnston stressed the importance of talking up recycling and leveraging the power of our networks and working together. "Drama sells but we can all play a role in debunking myths everywhere you go. Yes, help stakeholders understand the complexity, but also make it accessible and remain optimistic!" 

"Recycling is a circular economy safety net. It's not the last resort - it's the last line of defense. And it's in our power to make it the first port of call."