“The problem of waste management in Russia was tackled only five years ago”

Photo by: JARAMA / iStock

The basic principles of the circular economy are based on the use of renewable resources and recycling of secondary raw materials. The issue of transition to a circular economy is a common problem not only for Russia, but also for the whole world. We can say that this agenda has become acutely relevant in Russia in 2017 for a number of reasons (it was simply not paid much attention to before).

In our country, five years ago, the issues of reforming the waste management and recycling sector began to be raised. And this sector has become one of the fastest-growing in the country’s economy by 2021. But in many regions, recycling and waste management issues have yet to be resolved. There is a great deal to be done in this area. We are at the beginning of a long journey.

But conscious consumption and the circular economy do not work on their own. It takes a whole set of efforts to make sustainable development work — all participants in the process, from the producer to the consumer.

And we can say that conscious consumption is gaining momentum in different countries. For example, a sherry economy is being actively developed, which, among other things, aims to reduce the creation of waste by consumers. And manufacturing companies, in turn, are seeking to maximize the use of recycled resources in the production of certain goods in order to reduce the impact on the environment.

Cover photo: apomares / iStock