A vast “circularity gap” is driving resource depletion and risk, but closing it could unlock trillions in value and reduce pressure on the planet.

Every year the world tips US$30 trillion’s worth of valuable materials into its garbage tips, waterways, the atmosphere and other dumping grounds. Put another way, every person on Earth would be about $4000 a year better off if we reused stuff and reduced losses – instead of chucking it all away.

That’s the finding of the 2026  Circularity Gap report, a regular study of humanity’s colossal use and waste of materials. The gap it refers to is the difference between the avoidable losses incurred by our sloppy, lazy, throwaway society, and the huge benefits we can reap by eliminating losses and reusing materials.

More importantly, it is one of the few readily attainable goals that can help save our society from collapse and our grandchildren from obliteration.

As discussed in the  recent piece on population, the Earth is currently carrying three to four times more people than it can support in the long run. We have 8.3 billion people, heading for 11-12 billion by the latter part of the 21st century. And according to scientific experts, the  Earth can carry only 2.5 billion at today’s levels of material consumption.

The selfish and the thoughtless frequently object that society (meaning they) will never agree to the 70 per cent cut in its material demands which is necessary for the preservation of civilisation.

Maybe not – but closing the ‘circularity gap’ would almost eliminate the need for new materials to be extracted, by........

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