Identifying The Right Circular Vocabulary And Stakeholders

“Circular economy developments often focus on the technology. Yet to be successful, we need to define a common vocabulary and involve the right stakeholders. While not entirely new in concept, the circular economy, in relation to water, is still in its infancy. Scientists, governments, water utilities, and environmental professionals around the world are still figuring out what it means from a technical perspective.
As a result, we lack a common framing and related vocabulary when talking about the water in the circular economy. Many existing developments focus on the technologies as resulting products. However, water in a circular context is more than a product — it is a vector of energy, resources, and materials; it is an enabler. Because of these many functions granted by its unique properties, water is also difficult, if not sometimes impossible, to replace. Yet, the role of water is often misunderstood. Instead, several environmental initiatives are being reframed and labelled with a circular badge as part of the anticipated “Great Reset”, or “Green Recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to be careful here: just because we assign fancy labels or buzzwords, it does not mean all activities are truly circular.”

(Citation: Munaretto, S. – Identifying The Right Circular Vocabulary And Stakeholders – www.wateronline.com (2021)21 January)