A beautiful circular future with less (material) and different consumption!

To reduce resource consumption, we need to consume less and differently. This might conjure up images of austerity for many people. This could explain why circular economy policy regularly notes that more attention should be paid to higher circularity strategies—meaning consuming less and differently—but subsequently provides little detail on this. Yet, there are plenty of successful examples of how consuming less and differently is already possible today. This will only increase in the near future, given the successes already achieved. By providing examples of these existing successes and emerging initiatives, this article aims to show how fulfilling such a society can still be. RNB believes this is important because consuming less and differently, 'consuminishing' and 'consumandring', will only succeed if consumers and producers are willing to participate. Unfortunately, climate change, biodiversity loss, and other environmental issues impose a tight deadline. Therefore, we call on politicians and MPs to actively promote a vision and use examples to show how beautiful a future can be in which we consume less and differently. It is essential to engage the Netherlands in this broad vision of the future to build support for current and future (circular economy) policies. Three relevant policy documents for the circular economy In December 2022, the Dutch government sent the National Raw Materials Strategy and, in February 2023, the National Circular Economy Programme (NPCE) to the House of Representatives. The third policy document, the National Environmental Policy Programme (NMP), is scheduled to be adopted in late 2023. All three policy documents are relevant to the circular economy. The NMP will address how the cabinet intends to ensure that by 2050 our living environment is healthy, clean, and safe, and that environmental risks are negligible. The NMP will do this based on three main tasks, including a sustainable and circular economy (see figure below). The NPCE is essentially an elaboration of this. The NPCE aims to contribute to the climate challenge, the biodiversity challenge, the creation of a clean environment and a safe and clean living environment, and to contribute to the security of supply of raw materials through Dutch resource use. Security of supply concerns the availability of raw materials for the Dutch economy. Policy for critical raw materials is set out in the National Raw Materials Strategy. The figure below shows the coherence between the three policy documents. The NMP and NPCE share a healthy & cleaner living environment and vital ecosystems & biodiversity as main challenges. The NMP looks at all causes and solutions for these main challenges. The NPCE focuses on resource use as both a cause and a solution. Core of the cabinet's circular economy policy for the coming years RNB has conducted more in-depth evaluations of both the NPCE (see here) and the National Raw Materials Strategy (see here). The NPCE provides the most comprehensive insight into the cabinet's circular economy policy for the coming years. On one major point, the NPCE departs from the 2016 government-wide policy programme 'A Circular Economy in the Netherlands by 2050'. 'A Circular Economy in the Netherlands by 2050' still has reducing resource use as its main objective. For the NPCE, reducing resource use is at best a means to combat climate change and biodiversity loss, to achieve less environmental pressure, and to secure the supply of raw materials for the Dutch economy. Indeed, the NPCE states in its introduction that “our economy of the future requires more and different raw materials than our economy has done so far.”. At the same time, the NPCE says further on that Dutch use of raw materials, both domestically and abroad (but for the Dutch economy), must decrease. For now, the NPCE aims to reduce this raw material footprint by 50% in 2030 and by 75% in 2050. The NPCE is therefore a bit muddled about this raw material footprint. In the pages preceding the mention of those 50% and 75% resource reduction targets, the NPCE also says it (merely) wants to reduce the Dutch resource footprint to such an extent that our resource use falls within planetary boundaries. In the NPCE, therefore, resource reduction is also not an end in itself, but a means to get within planetary boundaries. This does not necessarily correspond to a 50% and 75% reduction in resource use. Incidentally, the NPCE still wants to investigate that link between resource use, climate change, biodiversity, and a cleaner environment and living environment. The NPCE points out that the environmental consequences of our resource use must not be shifted to other countries. However, it makes no mention of fairly sharing our material wealth with countries that lag far behind us in this respect. Perhaps the latter lies

To reduce resource consumption, we need to consume less and differently. This might conjure up images of austerity for many people. This could explain why circular economy policy regularly notes that more attention should be paid to higher circularity strategies—meaning consuming less and differently—but subsequently provides little detail on this.

Yet, there are plenty of successful examples of how consuming less and differently is already possible today. This will only increase in the near future, given the successes already achieved. By providing examples of these existing successes and emerging initiatives, this article aims to show how fulfilling such a society can still be. RNB believes this is important because consuming less and differently, 'consuminishing' and 'consumandring', will only succeed if consumers and producers are willing to participate.

Unfortunately, climate change, biodiversity loss, and other environmental issues impose a tight deadline. Therefore, we call on politicians and MPs to actively promote a vision and use examples to show how beautiful a future can be in which we consume less and differently. It is essential to engage the Netherlands in this broad vision of the future to build support for current and future (circular economy) policies.

Three relevant policy documents for the circular economy

In December 2022, the Dutch government sent the National Raw Materials Strategy and, in February 2023, the National Circular Economy Programme (NPCE) to the House of Representatives. The third policy document, the National Environmental Policy Programme (NMP), is scheduled to be adopted in late 2023. All three policy documents are relevant to the circular economy.

The NMP will address how the cabinet intends to ensure that by 2050 our living environment is healthy, clean, and safe, and that environmental risks are negligible. The NMP will do this based on three main tasks, including a sustainable and circular economy (see figure below). The NPCE is essentially an elaboration of this.

The NPCE aims to contribute to the climate challenge, the biodiversity challenge, the creation of a clean environment and a safe and clean living environment, and to contribute to the security of supply of raw materials through Dutch resource use. Security of supply concerns the availability of raw materials for the Dutch economy. Policy for critical raw materials is set out in the National Raw Materials Strategy.

The figure below shows the coherence between the three policy documents. The NMP and NPCE share a healthy & cleaner living environment and vital ecosystems & biodiversity as main challenges. The NMP looks at all causes and solutions for these main challenges. The NPCE focuses on resource use as both a cause and a solution.

Core of the cabinet's circular economy policy for the coming years

RNB has conducted more in-depth evaluations of both the NPCE (see here) and the National Raw Materials Strategy (see here). The NPCE provides the most comprehensive insight into the cabinet's circular economy policy for the coming years.

On one major point, the NPCE departs from the 2016 government-wide policy programme A Circular Economy in the Netherlands by 2050. A Circular Economy in the Netherlands by 2050 still has reducing resource use as its main objective. For the NPCE, reducing resource use is at best a means to combat climate change and biodiversity loss, to achieve less environmental pressure, and to secure the supply of raw materials for the Dutch economy.

Indeed, the NPCE states in its introduction that “our economy of the future requires more and different raw materials than our economy has done so far.”. At the same time, the NPCE says further on that Dutch use of raw materials, both domestically and abroad (but for the Dutch economy), must decrease. For now, the NPCE aims to reduce this raw material footprint by 50% in 2030 and by 75% in 2050.

The NPCE is therefore a bit muddled about this raw material footprint. In the pages preceding the mention of those 50% and 75% resource reduction targets, the NPCE also says it (merely) wants to reduce the Dutch resource footprint to such an extent that our resource use falls within planetary boundaries. In the NPCE, therefore, resource reduction is also not an end in itself, but a means to get within planetary boundaries. This does not necessarily correspond to a 50% and 75% reduction in resource use. Incidentally, the NPCE still wants to investigate that link between resource use, climate change, biodiversity, and a cleaner environment and living environment.

The NPCE points out that the environmental consequences of our resource use must not be shifted to other countries. However, it makes no mention of fairly sharing our material wealth with countries that lag far behind us in this respect. Perhaps the latter is implicit in the policy intention to keep the Dutch resource footprint within planetary boundaries. If so, it is very implicit indeed.

RNB advocates for making less resource use explicitly a main objective (main task) in circular economy policy once again, just as in A Circular Economy in the Netherlands by 2050. This is in line with the recommendations of the United Nations International Resource Panel. In its Global Resources Outlook 2019, it states that resource use in high-income countries must and can be reduced to such an extent that, within planetary boundaries, low-income countries can share proportionally in a still-growing prosperity.

Consuming less and differently is not synonymous with austerity

Lower resource use requires consuming less and differently. Think of car sharing and getting clothes repaired instead of buying new. When it comes to consuming less and differently, people quickly think of austerity. Admittedly, a search for consuming less ('consuminishing') and consuming differently ('consumandring') quickly yields tips like shopping more consciously, not buying anything for a month, and having a big spring clean. Usually with the aim of gaining insight into how little a person actually needs, and how much space and money that can save.

In these times of high inflation, saving money is of course a welcome bonus. At the same time, we would prefer not to compromise on our comfort, and possession is a sign of prosperity and success. This creates a 'circular paradox'. Marko Hekkert, director of the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, points this out in a recent lecture. Having items repaired is now often expensive, if at all possible, and the latest smartphone is more desirable to many people than an old but still well-functioning model.

Moreover, consumers are not made it easy to have their broken appliances or products repaired. Often new is cheaper, products are barely or not repairable, or a repairer is hard to find. Fortunately, people can now take their broken items, especially appliances, to repair cafés for free in many places. A repair register of approved companies for repairing consumer electronics has also recently been established (which is to be further expanded with repair companies). In Europe, active consideration is currently being given to how the right to repair for consumers should be regulated.

There are also many innovations already in common use that help us consume less. The smartphone is one of them. Besides making calls, after all, you can also use it to take photos, listen to music, look up information, email, etc. With a smartphone, you no longer need all those separate devices. It has made our lives easier in many ways.

More great and fun examples of 'consuminishing' and 'consumandring'

The smartphone as a replacement for the walkman, camera etc. is just one of many innovations that have already made life more fun and easier. Incidentally, the Fairphone goes a circular step further, by allowing the camera or screen, for example, to be replaced and upgraded. We would like to mention just a few other random circular innovations or innovations with circular spin-offs here.

Also in the digital sphere, services like Spotify and Netflix make diskettes with music or video footage (~17 grams of plastic) and the plastic cases for them (~75 grams) redundant. Meanwhile, sales of music and video on diskettes have fallen sharply. That saves a lot of plastic. There is debate, however, as to whether the energy consumption for these streaming services does or does not lead to more climate change than the production of all that plastic, and its processing in the waste phase.

An older innovation is the stapleless stapler, which uses a clever notch to hold multiple pages together without staples. So no hassle with an "empty" stapler. It also saves the cost of staples and prevents metal from ending up in waste paper.

Washing tablets have long been common practice. Due to their measured amount of detergent, washing tablets prevent excessive use of loose washing powder by consumers. Not yet common, but already widely available at most chemists, are low-packaging products like shampoo bars, hair lotions, and toothpaste tablets.

It was recently in the news that a German brewery is launching powdered beer. This reduces the volume of a beer bottle by 90% (which is water), and the beer bottle itself is no longer needed. This greatly reduces the financial and environmental costs of transport.

Soft drinks in powder or syrup form also save a huge volume of water transport and plastic bottles. It is not yet widely known that consumers can already use a Sodastream carbonator with carbonating cylinder and syrups from Pepsi, among others. The hospitality sector has been using tap or post-mix systems for much longer (see, for example, here and here).

In Belgium, tool libraries can already be found in many places (such as here and here). Why would you want to own a drill yourself if you only use it a few times a year? Ditto for a scarifier that is only used once in spring and autumn to aerate the lawn in the garden. People who only want to (have to) do DIY occasionally, or have no room for lots of garden tools, can borrow the tools they need from the tool library for a small fee. Such a tool library also now exists in The Hague, and hopefully more will soon follow in the Netherlands.

In addition to tool libraries, Belgium also has babytheeks with baby equipment, Wielekes as a library for children's bikes that "grow" with the child, toy libraries with games, shared kayaks and boats, etc. etc. The Netherlands could take a leaf out of its southern neighbours' book in this. Incidentally, toy libraries in the Netherlands have also existed for a long time.

Car sharing is perhaps the best-known example of the trend towards sharing things. Especially in busy city centres, people are increasingly eschewing car ownership, instead engaging in car sharing via sharing platforms or services like “Wheels for all” or Cambio. This means fewer cars are needed, and they no longer spend 90% or more of their time sitting idle by the side of the road.

Less well known is a sharing platform like Peerby. Here, all kinds of things can be borrowed and shared. A search function makes it possible to find what you need in your own neighbourhood and then make arrangements for its use.

Many larger and sometimes smaller towns have packaging-free shops where consumers fill their own containers with dried products like rice, pasta, grains, beans, lentils, soy chunks, spices etc. etc. Liquid detergents can also be dispensed into a jar or bottle brought from home. Edible liquid products, such as dairy products, come in bottles reused via a deposit system. Many food products can also be ordered packaging-free or low-packaging online.

Several places have giveaway shops where people can pick up or bring items for free. They are a good addition to charity shops, which, while usually cheap, still require you to pay. Increasingly, people also have giveaway or swap boxes outside their homes.

Delicious circular eating with less food waste

With food products, eating differently and especially eating less is perhaps less obvious. After all, a person has to eat. Still, there are countless ways to make a difference here too.

Easy entry points are seasonal fruit and vegetables. These are usually simply grown in the Netherlands, without requiring a lot of greenhouse heating due to out-of-season cultivation. As a result, they are often cheaper and, above all, tastier than fruit and vegetables from far away and/or out of season.

Annually, about 34 kilos of food and 45 litres of drink are thrown away per person. Preventing food waste is therefore particularly important. Of course, you simply should not buy (too much) more food than you eat. However, there are also parts of fruit and vegetables not commonly eaten (such as carrot or fennel tops, orange peels), or that some people do not like (such as apple peels). These currently still mostly end up as waste, but many websites with recipes for these can be found on the internet.

There are many great initiatives to prevent food waste earlier in the chain as well. Via the Too Good To Go app, consumers can buy unsold food and drink near them at a low price. Kromkommer tries through awareness-raising activities to ensure that the 10% of fruit and vegetables with cosmetic imperfections still find their way as food (currently they are often still seen as unsellable). Instock cooks in two restaurants with food that previously got no further than the distribution centre of a major supermarket chain, and has a great cookbook containing many preservation techniques for everything edible. The Verspillingsfabriek makes soups and sauces from fresh vegetables left over from growers, processors, and wholesalers. These and many other initiatives have joined the foundation Together Against Food Waste. In this, companies and public organisations work together to halve food waste by 2030.

Thinking and doing differently helps in consuming less and differently

The examples above are just a small selection of existing ways to reduce our resource use through 'consuminishing' and 'consumandring' without compromising our level of prosperity. Some innovations, such as the smartphone and washing tablets, have long been commonplace. For others, such as sharing products with other users, cooking with carrot tops, or leaving strawberries alone in winter, we may still have to overcome some hurdles. We also need to start reconsidering whether new things are always better or more modern than old ones. Because repair is often still difficult, people therefore perceive something new as quicker and easier.