Steps for a Sustainable World

SUSTAINABILITY

13 January 2024

1-Transition from Recycling to Circular Economy

What is circular economy?

Circular economy is a production and consumption model that includes sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, renewing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible, and aims to extend the life cycle of products.

Circular economy is a system in which materials never become waste and nature is renewed. In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes such as maintenance, reuse, renewal, remanufacturing and recycling. Recycling refers to all efforts to reduce waste and create new sustainable jobs.

When a product reaches the end of its life, recycling recycles its materials wherever possible. These can be used efficiently over and over again, thus creating more value.

Escape from fast consumption model

The traditional model, based on fast consumption, moves away from the linear economic model and relies on large amounts of cheap, easily accessible materials and energy.

Instead of encouraging consumers to repurchase, countries are accelerating circular economy steps towards a sustainable model and updating their legislation on waste management.

According to a report, approximately 2.01 billion tons of waste is generated worldwide every year. This amount is predicted to increase to 3.40 billion tons by 2050. It is said that the circular economy could represent a market worth 4.1 trillion euros between 2023 and 2030.

According to the European Environment Agency, industrial processes and product use are responsible for 9.10% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, while waste management is responsible for 3.32%.

In the US, the circular economy includes the use of alternative materials to synthetic plastics, AI-powered robots to sort recyclables, reuse and remanufacturing to extend the life of equipment before recycling, purification and reuse of wastewater, batteries to increase domestic supply chain security, and It includes the recycling of critical materials in electronics among its priority strategies.

In circular economy steps;

-Reducing pressures and constraints on supply chains through the recirculation of critical materials and products, including electric vehicle batteries and other important sustainable energy technologies;

Developing new, clean ways to produce and recycle basic materials such as steel and concrete that form the cornerstones of infrastructure,

-Saving money by extending the lifespan of products and materials and reducing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from wasted products and materials;

-Battery manufacturing stands out as the recycling of critical minerals.

Benefits: Why do we need to move to a circular economy?

Reusing and recycling products will slow the use of natural resources and help limit biodiversity loss. Another benefit of the circular economy is that it reduces total annual greenhouse gas emissions.

While recycling is undoubtedly a necessary component, it is important to ensure that products and materials are designed to be reused, repaired and remanufactured from the very beginning. We also need to tackle the climate crisis and encourage our world to build a circular, clean energy economy.

2-Roof SPP:

While the discovery of PV Technology (Photovoltaic), which we call solar panels, dates back to 1839, the first practical work was done in the 1950s. While the first use of photovoltaic modules was for satellites, stored energy began to be used shortly after, as batteries, fuel cells and nuclear energy were not suitable for the conditions of the period. As technology and conditions developed, high-efficiency batteries were discovered, and solar roof solar systems began to become widespread.

100 million households will invest in rooftop solar power plants

By 2050, the number of households wanting a rooftop solar energy system (Roof SPP) is expected to increase from 25 million today to over 100 million by 2030. It will continue to increase due to the competitiveness of Roof SPP and the appetite for clean energy sources.

Roughly 40% of 1 TW installed, approximately 130 GW of Rooftop Solar Power Plants, of which more than a third are in the residential sector, are used by households, corresponding to almost 25 million units.

Consumers’ need for rooftop solar energy for heating-cooling, savings on electricity bills and sustainability approaches is increasing. The total number of units is expected to reach 100 million around 2030.

Roof Solar Power Plant from a sustainability perspective

Rooftop SPP contributes significantly to reducing carbon emissions globally.

Apart from installations of a legal nature, applications in buildings and residences contribute significantly to the use of rooftop solar power, accounting for approximately 40% globally. Growth in this area helps companies and consumers reduce household bills and reduce carbon emissions, while alleviating the burden on distribution networks.

For a sustainable world and carbon neutral steps, solar energy needs to be installed wherever possible, starting from buildings. While electricity prices and their reflection on the total consumption amount are mostly important for individual consumers, the lower cost and price advantage comes to the fore for legal consumers.

Developing new Roof SPP applications on residential roofs, especially for residential buildings, will decisively contribute to the decarbonization of the electricity sector through electric mobility, solar heating-cooling and new business models. Developing technology also leads to the development of heat pumps, consumption-saving smart devices and remote-controlled smart devices. While high costs continue to be a significant obstacle for the consumer, equipment and installation costs have decreased by more than 80% in the last 10 years, especially with the development of technology, and are developing with new business and financing models.

Countries are creating long-term plans for Roof SPP

While Roof SPP applications come to the fore in consumer preference in the new era, the incentives given by countries for their development are rapidly expanding thanks to appropriate financing models. While rooftop solar power for homes has been developing from the early days in the PV market in many countries such as Germany and Italy, it now has a deep market concentration in other countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan. China is one of the important growing markets while providing support for the development of Roof Solar Power Plant projects.

It is important to integrate with e-mobility in the new ecosystem

It is gaining importance to popularize the application of rooftop solar power plants in densely populated big cities, apartments and housing estates. The dream of progress in this field is no longer distant, with storage facilities being offered to expand use in both common areas and apartments.

Encouraging rooftop solar solar installation, together with sustainable consumer financing, will have a positive impact on electric mobility, especially with smart chargers and heat pumps.

Rooftop Solar Power Plant applications will have an important place in the new ecosystem with technological developments, increasing the possibility of deploying larger capacities on the same surface, increasing the possibility of storing the energy obtained, and the integration of heat pumps and electric vehicle charging. The importance of this field will increase in the future with different business models offered in sustainable consumer financing.

3-BUYING SECOND HAND PRODUCTS

While all sectors, institutions and individuals work hand in hand to make the world we live in more sustainable, with the widespread use of mass production and low-cost production in the world, more and more consumers want to buy new products. On the other hand, while we feel the impact of sustainability in changing consumer habits with the pandemic, purchasing second-hand products is at the forefront among the steps we can take for consumers to help protect the environment and protect our natural resources.

If we want to help protect the environment, buying second-hand items is more sustainable than we think. But the most important reason is the environmental cost you will save. They offer great value to our world and us while doing a great favor to the environment. When we examine second-hand products, they are usually in excellent condition and are made of quality materials and have a significant value.

Get high quality products at a lower price…

We can see that lately, it is common to focus on garage sales and second-hand stores on the online platform in order to buy second-hand products, clothes, goods and even second-hand vehicles. We can buy second-hand furniture, books, electronics, baby items, a second-hand car, children’s toys, home care products, musical instruments and many other items.

It saves money compared to the cost of new products and encourages reuse that is sustainable for the environment. In addition, we see that it continues to be the most important force behind buying a high-quality product at a low price, used instead of new, with the changing consumer preferences after the pandemic, with many consumers choosing to buy their clothes, bags, furniture and children’s items from second-hand stores.

Second hand Electronics, is this a used smartphone?

As consumer technology advances very rapidly with the digital age and the pandemic, we see that consumers are accelerating the transition from old devices and hardware to new models because they love the next cutting-edge technology.

We can find refurbished products that cost 40% less because the original buyer changed their mind about the model, perhaps an unopened, rejected birthday gift, or even a product in a color that was not liked by the user, for around half the original price. While technology has the advantage of making daily work easier, its disadvantage is that consumer culture causes great harm to the environment in the form of electronic waste.

While electronic product manufacturers have recently made serious investments for sustainability, millions of phones, computers, cameras, printers, routers, modems and other electronic equipment parts are thrown away, and when these e-wastes heat up, greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals are released into the air, damaging the atmosphere. A greenhouse gas contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, while CO2 contributes to climate change, causing the planet to become hotter than naturally and affecting natural systems.

So how can we as consumers do our part to reduce CO2 emissions?

We can buy second hand to save our world.

Purchasing a used device does not unnecessarily introduce a new device into circulation, as it will extend its life and use and keep it away from waste for longer. Often, a refurbished tech product can be a cheaper and more customizable option. Hardware replacements are generally easy to make, and older models (especially phones and laptops) use the same, up-to-date software as newer models. Renewal also usually comes with a new warranty, protecting you for some time after purchase.

How Does Buying Refurbished Products Benefit the Environment?

Protects Natural Resources, Balances the Amount of Waste

According to a UN-supported study, only 10 percent of the 54 million tons of electronic devices that become waste in the world every year can be recycled. While England, Ireland, Switzerland and France were in the top 10, Norway, which has one of the best ecological reputations, ranked first on the list and Turkey ranked fourteenth on the list.

While America, Europe and China lead in the production of electronic waste, approximately 847 thousand tons of electronic waste is generated in our country every year and only 5 percent of it can be recycled. The recycling rate of e-waste in the EU is 33%. On the other hand, in the sectors where mass production is most harmful, production consumes a lot of water and energy, accounting for approximately 20% of wastewater and approximately 10% of global carbon emissions.

Although renewable energy is coming rapidly, as managers, we need to take more steps towards carbon neutrality, even though the transition of our companies and factories to renewable energy sources is accelerating.

Energy-saving ,

Consumers are increasingly turning to second-hand goods in the new era, ensuring that factories do not need to use more energy than they should. On the other hand, energy is required not only for production but also to deliver the products to various parts of the world.