06 Materials, Waste, and the Circular Economy Free Online FlashCards

What is a linear economy?

A pattern of extracting raw materials, making products, using them, and then discarding them.

What does a life-cycle perspective on materials include?

It considers impacts across extraction, manufacturing, use, reuse, and end-of-life.

What is the waste-management hierarchy, from most to least preferred?

Source reduction and reuse; recycling and composting; energy recovery; then treatment and disposal.

What is waste prevention, or source reduction?

Avoiding waste at its origin, for example by designing durable products, reducing packaging, or buying only what is needed.

How does reuse differ from recycling?

Reuse keeps a product in service; recycling processes discarded material to make new products.

Why can reuse preserve more value than recycling?

Reuse can preserve more of a product’s value because it avoids breaking the product down and remaking it.

What helps recycling work effectively?

Materials need to be sorted correctly, and there must be demand for products made with recycled content.

Why does recycling not eliminate all resource use?

Collection, processing, and remanufacturing use energy, and some material may be lost or become lower quality.

What does composting do?

It manages organic materials, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, so they decompose into a soil amendment.

What is the aim of a circular economy?

It is designed to reduce waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and support the renewal of natural systems.

How can product design support circularity?

Designing products to last, be repaired, or be disassembled helps preserve their usefulness and material value.

Does a circular economy keep materials circulating without losses forever?

No. Products wear out, and collecting and processing materials have impacts; the aim is to prevent avoidable waste and preserve value.