The resources of our earth are finite. And the more products are manufactured for more people, the faster the end of the line is reached: That's why you can no longer just talk about a shortage of resources today, because what you and I are experiencing is a depletion of resources. And if we do not react to this today, if we do not counteract the depletion, then tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, our children and our children's children will have to accept severe losses in quality of life and prosperity.

The solution to this problem? I, or rather we at allsafe, see this in the circular economy. The basic idea of this is, I think, also immediately obvious: conserving resources by extending the life cycle of products. And I am surprised that many people and companies find it difficult to put this sensible idea into practice. Whereby - if I'm honest: I also have my weak moments ...

Circular economy and vanity

I had a friend from Berlin to visit and we sat then with me outside on the terrace on our old-fashioned garden furniture. Foldable wooden furniture that I bought used on eBay, with so green and white checkered upholstery. So beautiful they are not ... - and I realized that I was a little embarrassed for them. But then my friend said, "It's cool. In Berlin, everyone has such old clothes standing around."

And at that moment I realized that I'm not free of vanity and that I did define my self-worth a bit by how new my furniture was. After all, I had been struggling with myself for a while, looking at Bauhaus every now and then to see how much new things cost... - and I think this inner conflict plays a big role in the acceptance of the circular economy. The conflict that can be summed up in the belief: "New is better!

Circular economy and value

I still have the old furniture. Because: you do. And I didn't want to go against my own values out of vanity, out of thinking what should others think. And I think the value of things, of my life, is not measured by the newness. Because new garden furniture would not have enriched my life.

I hope that many more people become really aware of what enriches their lives, what value they give to the things with which they surround themselves. And thus overcome their weak moments of "the old furniture isn't beautiful! The more people no longer attach their value, their personal success, to "new is better!", to consumption, the more people will fill the ideas of the circular economy with life: And pay attention to the longevity of things, to their reparability. To the longest possible cycle of resources, which then no longer have to be torn out of the earth.

And with my hope, I include manufacturing companies in particular: Because manufacturing companies in particular, with all their know-how, have a huge lever to advance the circular economy: With this know-how, they can come up with solutions that make their products more valuable. They can show, as allsafe exemplifies, that "rethinking growth" can ensure success for the future. That it is possible to drive value creation and conserve resources at the same time.

Heike Hundertmark