The Columbus Metropolitan Club recently hosted a community panel discussion focused on central Ohio’s growing circular economy. AEDE Professor Elena Irwin spoke on the panel, describing “doughnut economics” – providing for humanity’s needs within finite planetary boundaries and resources – with fellow panelists from Advanced Drainage Systems, Compost Clubhouse, and Rumpke Waste & Recycling.
“We can’t take endlessly from the Earth,” Irwin noted, but humanity does need to use some resources for food, shelter and economic activity. In a circular economy, those resources are reused and recycled for new purposes, extending their lifecycles and avoiding environmental damage. The panelists described examples of that circular economic activity that their businesses help drive within central Ohio. Referring to the doughnut economy analogy, Irwin said, we need to “think about ways we can keep materials and reuse materials in the system,” circling around into new uses to help reduce pollution and environmental impact, while providing for human well-being.
Read a Columbus Underground article about the event>>>>
Watch the full event recording>>>>