How often do you think about where things go after you’re done with them? We often operate in a “take-make-waste” world where we take resources, make products, use them — and then discard them, where they become waste. What if there was a better way?

That’s where the idea of a circular economy comes in. RFA is proud to work with organizations like the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) that are helping organizations progress toward this idea of a brighter future.

Heidi Sanborn, founding executive director of NSAC and an advisory member to RFA, describes it like this:

“A circular economy is when you do three key things: 1. Eliminate pollution and waste at the source; 2. Keep materials in motion with methods like recycling and composting; and 3. Regenerate the systems you have harmed, which is basically the entire ecosphere.”

To imagine circularity in practice, picture a clothing company that designs durable denim jeans made from organically grown cotton. When customers wear out their jeans, they send them back instead of throwing them out. The company then repairs the jeans, upcycles them into new clothing items or breaks them down into fibers to create new fabric. Plus, the scraps from the manufacturing process are used to make insulation for homes. This is circularity in action — a continuous loop of use and reuse.

These principles represent a seismic shift in how the industrialized world has operated for a long time which interrupted the natural worlds’ circularity. Shifting industrial processes from Cradle to Grave to Cradle-to-Cradle has been challenging for producers, businesses and other companies that have built their businesses off an extractive linear economy.

Overcoming hurdles won’t happen in a silo, and that’s why NSAC’s work is so important. The organization is leading the charge through collaboration—consulting state and local governments, corporations and other organizations to help find practical and affordable solutions for problematic material streams with cutting-edge policies and programs.

For example, NSAC was a co-sponsor of the California wet wipes labeling law and supporter of the proposed federal bi-partisan legislation, the WIPPES Act, both crucial steps in advancing responsible flushing habits.

The transition to a circular economy requires collaboration, innovation and commitment from all of us. By supporting organizations like NSAC and advocating for responsible environmental stewardship — including smart flushing practices — we can all play a part in building a more sustainable and circular future. Let’s work together to protect our pipes, people and planet!