Taking part in the circular economy is a necessary step towards sustainability and fighting climate change. Many businesses have made the decision to go circular, moving away from the “take, make, dispose” systems.
But there is another side to the circular economy: the people.
The main social concerns related to the circular economy are employment, health and safety.
As an example of child labour, in India alone, over 40,000 children, between the ages 10 to 14, are employed in recycling facilities.
Moreover, while a transition to a circular economy is estimated to create more than 90 million jobs in the world, there will be a loss of over 81 million jobs in sectors like energy or manufacturing. The net change is positive, but many will be left unemployed.
So how do we address the negative social impact of the circular economy?
