Day: July 20, 2021

The fashion industry has been coming under fire in recent years for its environmental impact. Not only does the industry have a large carbon footprint, but many of the materials it uses are damaging for ocean environments. Sustainability has become a key concern for conscious consumers, and this has been having a knock-on effect on brands. Adidas has already made efforts to address its environmental impact by using recycled PET plastic in its products, and now it has made another step forward by releasing its first totally recyclable shoe.

Welsh Government circular economy strategy, Beyond Recycling, aims to move Wales to become a zero-waste, net-zero carbon nation that uses its fair share of resources and seizes the economic opportunities from the transition to a circular economy. The move to a circular economy, which aims to keep products, components and materials in use for as long as possible, is central to the country’s post-Covid response and green recovery in Wales, as well as its commitment to achieving a net-zero economy by 2050.  The strategy requires all sectors of the community to participate including art and art organisations. This article will look at the relationship between fine art and sustainability and in particular the circular economy through the work of visual artists and specifically will look at works that incorporate materials that would normally be discarded as a resource rather than a waste.

The Circular Economy is where materials are reclaimed from end-of- life products and recycled or re-used back into the same product. This is claimed to be the way of the future and the best approach to a sustainable economy. Avoidance of waste going to landfill is a key part of the Circular Economy. In this …

The circular economy diagram is a visual representation of an economic model that could be important for American businesses moving forward.
Although we have relied on a “take, make and dispose” model since the dawn of the industrial revolution, globally industries are facing a major challenge. Resource depletion is a legitimate concern as commonly used resources such as natural gas, phosphorous and even water are approaching distressing levels.  A circular economy diagram illustrates the restorative or regenerative properties of a model that redefines growth and focuses on keeping materials at their highest value and continuously in use.  

Many plastic-based building materials that could be recycled aren’t, because most companies haven’t yet figured out how. The AZEK Company cracked this code, and diverted nearly 300 million pounds of waste from landfills in 2019. Every time an office building or an old home is demolished, all of the broken-down materials have to go somewhere. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 230 million to 530 million tons of construction waste are produced annually — and much of that material ends up in landfills. The bulk of construction and demolition waste is old bricks, masonry, concrete, wood and metal; but it’s not exclusively that. Some plastic-based building materials — such as windows, flooring and decking — that could be recycled aren’t, because companies haven’t yet figured out how to collect and reuse the plastic at the heart of these products.