How to Make Sure Materials Get Reused — Again and Again | Garry Cooper | TED

The Beauty of Chicago

The speaker talks about the beauty and attractions of Chicago, including its food, skyline, architecture, and friendly people.

Exploring Chicago's Charm

• Chicago is a city that offers a diverse range of experiences and attractions.

• It is known for its great food, incredible skyline, and impressive architecture.

• The people in Chicago are described as kind and embodying the Midwestern hospitality.

Impact of Cities on the Environment

The speaker discusses the environmental impact of cities like Chicago due to waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Environmental Consequences

• Cities like Chicago contribute significantly to waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions.

• According to a World Bank report from 2022, communities could be responsible for 25 gigatons of carbon emissions and substantial amounts of waste.

• This has implications for local communities in terms of pollution and health risks.

Transitioning to a Circular Economy

The speaker introduces the concept of transitioning from a linear economy to a circular economy to address environmental challenges.

Linear Economy Challenges

• Cities' linear economies result in significant waste generation from construction and demolition activities.

• This linear approach is detrimental to both climate change mitigation efforts and public health.

• Additionally, it represents missed economic opportunities for resource reuse.

Embracing Circular Economy Principles

• Transitioning to a circular economy involves transforming our concept of ownership.

• In a circular economy, resources find new uses instead of being discarded.

• This shift can lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, minimized landfill waste, and job creation.

Local Implications: Building Demolition Waste

The speaker highlights the impact of building demolition waste on local communities.

Environmental Impact

• When buildings are torn down, materials like wood, concrete, steel, and office equipment are often dumped in landfills.

• In the United States, 40% of landfill waste comes from construction and demolition activities.

• This linear approach to waste management harms the environment and nearby low-income neighborhoods.

The Linear Economy's Consequences

The speaker emphasizes the negative consequences of a linear economy.

Climate and Health Implications

• The linear economy is detrimental to both climate change mitigation efforts and public health.

• It contributes to increased carbon emissions and pollution levels.

• These consequences have far-reaching impacts on communities' well-being.

Transitioning to a Circular Economy: Opportunities

The speaker highlights the potential benefits of transitioning to a circular economy.

Circular Economy Advantages

• Embracing a circular economy can create multiple interconnected circles where resources find new uses.

• This approach reduces greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing processes, minimizes landfill waste, and generates employment opportunities.

Personal Journey Towards Circular Economy

The speaker shares their personal journey towards embracing the circular economy concept.

Neuroscientist Turned Advocate

• The speaker started their circular economy journey as a neuroscientist at Northwestern University.

• They noticed unused biological tools and equipment in their lab due to tight research budgets.

• Inspired by this observation, they began redistributing these items among colleagues.

Rheaply: Enabling Resource Reuse

The speaker introduces Rheaply, a company they founded that facilitates resource reuse within organizations.

Rheaply's Role

• Rheaply helps organizations identify and catalog their owned resources for internal reuse or redistribution.

• Their digital platform connects hundreds of organizations across various sectors, creating networks of resource sharing.

Collaborative Networks of Reuse

The speaker emphasizes the importance of collaborative networks in enabling resource reuse.

Expanding Resource Reuse

• Companies like Rheaply, Goodr, Olio, Queen of Raw, Trove, and Recurate enable resource reuse in various sectors.

• These platforms connect surplus resources with those who can benefit from them.

• Examples include building materials, IT equipment, industrial machinery, furniture, food waste reduction, and textile recycling.

Furniture Reuse Example

The speaker provides an example of how furniture reuse can be facilitated through their platform.

Case Study: Office Chairs

• An investment bank in New York City had 2,000 premium office chairs they no longer needed.

• Rheaply's team inventoried and cataloged the chairs on their platform.

• When it was determined that the chairs were no longer useful internally, notifications were sent to partner organizations.

Positive Impact of Circular Economy Practices

The speaker highlights the positive impact of circular economy practices through a case study.

Diverting Waste and Creating Value

• All 2,000 office chairs found new homes in a local university, community housing organization, and refurbishment company.

• Approximately 68,000 pounds of potential waste were diverted from landfills.

• The value recaptured and shared with these organizations amounted to around $100,000.

Scaling Up Circular Economy Efforts

The speaker emphasizes that the previous case study represents only a small fraction of what can be achieved on a larger scale.

Potential for Greater Impact

• The example provided is just one floor in one building of one bank in New York City.

• Scaling up circular economy practices has the potential to significantly reduce waste generation and create economic opportunities on a larger scale.

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