Rewiring our Psychology from Linear to Circular Thinking

Shivali Patel

10 years: Sustainability Consultant

In this video, Shivali discusses how we can change our psychology to think more circularly. She also shows how practical the circular economy is by illustrating simple changes we can make as individuals and businesses.

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Rewiring our Psychology from Linear to Circular Thinking

14 mins 22 secs

Key learning objectives:

Understand how we can apply a “reuse” mindset and how this will help transition to a circular economy
Understand the changes we can make as businesses to become more circular
Outline some ways in which we can rewire our psychology to think more circularly

Overview:

The shift towards a circular economy may appear intimidating, but it is entirely manageable. In fact, it is a practical approach that starts with us as individuals making incremental changes in our daily routines. By collectively implementing these changes at an organisational level, we can magnify the impact of the transformation. The initial step in this process is to rewire our psychology to embrace circular thinking. Emphasising the adoption of a "reduce and reuse" mindset plays a pivotal role in accomplishing this circular transformation.

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Summary

What would be the impact of reducing the purchase of new products such as clothes?

Reducing the purchase of new products like clothes can have significant positive impacts. It helps limit individual waste and reduces landfilling while triggering retailers to supply less. Additionally, it lessens our reliance on resources and contributes to a reduction in pollution.

Adopting the "reduce" approach stops new products from entering circulation and prevents waste in the supply chain.

What are some questions we need to ask ourselves in order to adopt a “reduce” mindset?

To adopt a "reduce" mindset, individuals need to ask themselves important questions. They should consider whether they genuinely need a product, assess its sustainability, and think about how often they will use the item.

What are the benefits of adopting a reusing, repairing, repurposing and reselling existing products?

Embracing a "reuse" mindset with existing products offers several benefits. It closes the loop, preventing products from ending up in landfills. It also reduces expenses as reusing, repairing, or repurposing items is often cheaper than buying new ones. Furthermore, it lowers the overall environmental impact.

How can the concept of circularity address waste in businesses?

The application of the circular economy within businesses varies depending on their type and value chain. For instance, supermarkets can address food waste by adjusting apple purchases based on demand, optimising transportation routes, and using suitable packaging to minimise handling waste.

How can the circular economy be applied to businesses such as professional services where products are not produced and sold?

In businesses like professional services where physical products are not produced and sold, circular practices can still be applied. Companies can procure second-hand office furniture, refurbished IT equipment, and direct waste water for flushing. Substituting single-use cups with reusable options, adopting digital service substitutes, and using recycled paper for printing are also effective circular strategies.

What are some ways through which we can rewire our psychology to think more circularly?

Question whether we genuinely need something and always try and find a more sustainable alternative
Identify products that are no longer needed and sell them
Make simple switches for key household items with less environmentally harmful replacements
Adopt changes such as purchasing more “refill” options to reduce your plastic consumption and separating recycling according to council guidelines
Support sustainable businesses to push other businesses to adopt the same principles as the norm

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Shivali Patel

Shivali Patel is a sustainability consultant and circular economy expert with a focus on consumer industries. She has assisted clients in integrating circularity and net zero considerations into their strategies and delivering end-to-end transformation initiatives as a consultant for Deloitte and an independent.

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