A CIRCULAR economy will make life more affordable for consumers and help fight inflation, says the Policy Monitoring and Research Centre (PMRC). According to PMRC Executive Director, Sydney Mwamba, this could be done by designing goods that are durable, repairable, and reusable.
This would result in higher-quality products that have a longer lifespan which can reduce the frequency of purchases.“Further, circular practices such as the use of organic fertiliser derived from animal and plant waste has health benefits for consumers. Growing organic products reduce the health risk of farmers and consumers by decreasing exposure to chemicals. “Organic farming does not use synthetic fertilisers and pesticides on crops and thereby, the exposure to chemicals in soil, air, water, and food is minimised,” Dr Mwamba said in a PMRC’s publication on exploring a circular economy in Zambia.He also highlighted economic opportunities of a circular economy such as creating new jobs and boosts economic growth.
He stated that the circular economy was expected to drive job creation and economic growth, stating that in order to achieve a circular economy, many new industries would need to emerge.
“This means that there will be plenty of new jobs available. For example, an e-waste recycling facility opened in 2017 in Rwanda created 400 green jobs while a similar facility in Kenya established in 2013 created 2, 000 green jobs. “In South Africa, the plastic waste industry provided stable employment for around 7, 800 people in 2018.
There is also vast potential for job creation in Zambia if the country is to become more circular,” he said.On the environmental benefits, Dr Mwamba said the linear economy had major environmental impacts as it is a massive generator of waste. He pointed out that the waste produced ends up in landfills, where it decomposes and produces greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change. “A circular economy on the other hand, can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing waste.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that circular economy practices can reduce global GHG emissions by 45 percent. This would be a major step towards dealing with climate change,” Dr Mwamba said.Ends.
