I signed up for an online edX course on The Circular Economy.

There are a variety of reasons why this topic interests me:

1. I think the opportunities for recycling livelihoods is much greater than is currently the case. I wrote a recent blog about Recycling Livelihoods.
2. I'm interested in looking at economic activity using a more systems-based approach which the term "circular" suggests.
3. As someone with an ongoing interest in Permaculture this seems like a topic that is well aligned with its teachings and can help deepen understanding of the 12 Permaculture Principles.
4. How does the concept of a circular economy relate to concepts such as growth, GDP, steady state economy, entropy, sustainability, energy production/consumption, etc.? The course might provide a venue to think about these relationships in more detail.
5. Can the concept of a circular economy be used to suggest some trends and innovations to look for in the current economy? Re-manufacturing and leasing home goods from manufacturers rather than owning them might be examples of such trends and innovations
6. I haven't heard much about circular economics but it appears the Ellen McArthur Foundation has been sponsoring circular economics research for awhile now and this course is a chance for them to disseminate that research more widely. I'm sure I'll learn some new and interesting ideas from this research program.

So these are some reasons I'll be taking this course. Maybe I'll see you there. Course is free or $50 if you want a verified certificate.

If you want to learn more, Wikipedia has a useful page on the circular economy.

Here is a Formidable Vegetable song about Permaculture Design Principle # 6 which is to "Produce No Waste". The song provides a personal and entertaining perspective on the issue of waste.