According to an article on Nationalgeographic.ocm, for most of us, using a product once before throwing it away is a daily habit. Beverage bottles, food containers, and other packaging are sanitary and convenient, but our disposable world brings consequences that must be addressed: Trash is ending up in our rivers and oceans, threatening wildlife and food supplies.
To allow for the benefits of safe packaging without creating a flood of waste into the environment, we need to create a circular economy, where products are designed to last longer and eventually come back into use as new materials rather than going to landfills. National Geographic recently convened a group that included CEOs, city officials, and recycling experts to talk about how we can bring the circular economy from concept to reality. Here are five notable concepts that emerged during the discussion February 26 at National Geographic's headquarters in Washington, D.C.