Journalist Robert Turcescu had Marius Brînzea, the Strategy Director of Reciclad’or, as his guest on Wednesday, May 8. The two thoroughly discussed the topics of sustainability and the circular economy.

Marius Brînzea, the Strategy Director of Reciclad’or, explains what the circular economy actually is. Marius Brînzea speaks about two significant themes that have a major impact on the quality of life and business models: sustainability and the circular economy. There are new things to learn, and it is a good opportunity to understand what the European Green Deal expects from us and other EU countries. All this during the podcast hosted by Robert Turcescu exclusively on the YouTube channel “HAI Romania!”.

Marius Brînzea explained that according to a study conducted at Cambridge, since 2021 humanity has been consuming resources 50% faster than the rate of replenishment. “If we continue this way, by 2035 we will need two planets and by 2050, three planets,” stated the Strategy Director of Reciclad’or.

“Let’s also explain why these things are ending. Until recent years, we operated with a linear economy. We also had cases of circular economy, it’s not like the wheel was reinvented; more sophisticated systems were created. But when the industrial revolution started, it began with a linear economic model. A production and consumption model: we take resources from nature, mass-produce, and then throw them away after their first use. What happened? The Earth remained the same, but the population increased exponentially. In 1600, we had about 600 million inhabitants. By 1900, about 1 billion inhabitants. When I was born, there were 37 billion inhabitants. I always say in circular economy trainings: today we are 8 billion, and I am not Tutankhamun. Here’s how the population grows but resources are limited,” added Marius Brînzea.

The Strategy Director of Reciclad’or explained that sustainability is the ultimate goal. The facilitator, in this case, is the transition to a circular economic model.

A circular economy involves a production and consumption model that includes:

• Sharing resources among multiple entities;
• Recovering resources;
• Refurbishing;
• Remanufacturing;
• Reusing;
• Recycling of products and materials.

The circular economy has existed since the beginning of time, but humanity really started getting interested in it around 2010. “Circular economy equals extending the lifespan of materials and products. That is the essence of the circular economy,” further noted Marius Brînzea during the podcast broadcast exclusively on the YouTube channel “HAI Romania!”.

A more intense focus on the circular economy began sometime around the 2010s, indicated the specialist. “The circular economy has been around since the beginning of time. Refurbishing, reusing, repairing have existed since forever. I believe what we are discussing today about circular economic models—technology has helped us expand them… to underutilized assets, making them more sophisticated. What is one of the barriers to these models that allow resource sharing? It is simply people’s perception. Owning something, having something in property means a social status for people. I take pride in that. And it’s a problem. Why do I need to have 10-15 houses when I could go on vacation in those houses? It’s not a social status even though they are underutilized. Now comes Airbnb, and it reuses them, introducing them into a system where they are efficiently used by third parties,” further noted Marius Brînzea.