Designing our circular future: A joint white paper from Denmark

What if waste was never created in the first place? What if the economy was built on using things rather than using them up? What if we could not only protect but actively improve the environment? As part of shared initiatives within the circular economy agenda, BLOXHUB, Danish Architecture Center, Danish Design Centre and Creative Denmark present a new white paper. Not only to address the above questions, but to also add a fourth: what if we designed an irresistible circular society where circularity is a clearcut choice – both in business models and for end consumers?

“The need for a circular economy is becoming so obvious, there is no need to argue about it anymore. Instead, our focus can be dedicated on how to prepare for success and develop solutions that work,” states Torben Klitgaard, CEO of BLOXHUB.

Based on the three pioneering principles for a circular economy put forward by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the paper showcases Danish creative and innovative solutions that (1) design out waste and pollution, (2) keep products and materials in use and (3) regenerate natural systems.

The white paper is divided into three main sections, with examples intended to enrich and inspire with creative solutions for design, buildings, production methods and circular business models:

  1. Resource loops and zero waste 
  2. City(nature), resilience and biodiversity 
  3. Social values and communities

As Christian Bason, CEO of Danish Design Center writes in his contribution to the paper: “This story of a circular society may sound utopian, perhaps even naive. Maybe it sounds like a dream. But it is a fundamental truth in our world that the future must be imagined before it can be created. That is the power of design. Or, more precisely, that is the power of speculative design that thrives on imagination and aims to open up new perspectives on the wicked problems of our time.”

Read & download the document HERE.

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Article & image source: danskdesigncenter.dk, creativedenmark.com