The circular economy concept aims to systemically alter the current economic linear model of overconsumption and subsequent production of waste from finite resources, in favor of a circular model that reduces waste, extends the life of resources in current production and circulation, and promotes recycling and renewable energy across economic sectors. Not only is this concept extremely beneficial to the health of our planet and us as human beings, it also boasts the potential to improve global economies in economic opportunities by as much as $4.5 trillion.

The circular economy is applicable to all sectors of the economy, from industry to agriculture, and is slowly gaining traction in these areas as a possible way to mitigate climate change whilst maintaining and improving economic growth.

The IT industry as a whole is becoming more involved in applying the principles of the circular economy. This was evident at the Circular Economy Action Agenda Launch on the 4th of February 2021, where the tech giant company Apple was present to discuss its efforts in contributing to a circular economy. Apple’s efforts to maintain a circular economy are multifaceted. Technology plays a central role in the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, the products we use for day-to-day tasks such as computing, communication, banking, and many more rely on mining and production of finite resources such as gold, copper, and tin that are environmentally damaging to acquire and typically remain in the environment as waste when they are no longer in service. Apple seeks to mitigate this in a number of ways. They ensure longevity in their products stating, “a durable device is a greener device”, highlighting that a longer-lasting product reduces the need to produce significant amounts of environmentally taxing resources. Apple provides services to their customers that allow them to return used and unwanted products, giving the company an opportunity to reuse, repurpose or recycle materials responsibly. Apple is committed to eventually produce products from fully renewable and recycled resources while also reintroducing recycled materials into the market for others to avail of wherever possible. The development of Daisy and Dave for recycling purposes further emphasizes Apple’s genuine effort to make a change. The robots are tasked with recovering more material at higher standards from old products than traditional recycling processes.

In order for a circular economy to be feasible it will require the presence of every organisation including Apple, and many others across all sectors, to promote and practice its principles diligently. this will be no easy task and success will depend on whether producers and consumers alike will change their old habits and embrace a more sustainable lifestyle.