Recycled paper export report: September 2020

Opening the event is Dr Walter Stahel who, many of you will already know, is credited with coining the term ‘circular economy’ in a paper published in 1982. His keynote speech will provide a new vision for realising the full value of our natural resources. Circular recently caught up with Dr Stahel for an exclusive interview, where he revealed the origins of his ideas about the circular economy. ‘The circular economy has always existed,’ he said. ‘It’s as old as humankind, but this was a circular economy of scarcity – and it still is in poorer regions, where everything is repaired or reused. But, in industrialised countries, we live in a society of abundance. To motivate people, to make things last, we need to educate them – we need to change them, their lifestyle, their behaviour, their beliefs.’

The San Marcos City Council introduced an ordinance banning single-use plastic utensils and containers and Styrofoam products during its Oct. 12 meeting, becoming the latest in a string of San Diego County cities to implement such a ban. The council vote unanimously in favor of the ordinance, which will be officially adopted at an upcoming council meeting and phased in over two years. According to the staff report, the ordinance will “establish standards and procedures for the protection of the City’s environment, its economy, and the health of its residents and visitors by promoting environmentally sustainable practices throughout the City by controlling the use and distribution and disposal of certain non-recyclable single-use plastic products by City departments, City contractors, food servicers, and grocery stores within the City of San Marcos.”