Today our planet faces an enormous number of environmental challenges such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, and pollution. However, it could be argued that the biggest challenge and the root cause of all this is resource consumption. We buy things (often unneeded) which means businesses are continuously making items and we end up using more energy and making more waste.
A circular economy stops the cycle.
In contrast, we could instead work toward a circular economy. A circular economy promotes the reuse of items, renting, repairing and recycling instead of throwing them away and buying a new item. Embedding the principles of a circular economy in everyday life is the focus of Aaryan Doshi’s recently published book, Designing on the Brink: Products for a Climate in Crisis.
“The intersection of circular design and recent innovation in fintech can facilitate this transition [to a circular economy]–and in the process, help us heal our planet.”
Examples from real life
In the book, he takes five commonly used products such as a shoe or a jacket or a charger and illustrates how they can be redesigned so they can stay in circulation longer. Aaryan explains this by intensifying and extending the usage of these products. Changing habits can be hard. Ideas are also included for incentivizing the change such as through digital renting, blockchain and digital passports.
The CirFin initiative
The book is part of his initiative– CirFin– which is a global platform that aims to inspire youth worldwide to use fintech (financial tech) via classes, seminars, and online resources. Its goals are to support and raise knowledge of a circular economy, especially its ecological impact, and train others to become circular economy change agents. During the summer of 2024 they expect to launch a podcast series.
To learn more about or purchase the book, visit: Designing on the Brink.
To learn more about CirFin, go to www.cirfin.org.
Aaryan Doshi is a Walk Bike Cupertino youth board member and a student at Monta Vista High School, graduating in 2025. He is the founder of CirFin, and has received a national Prudential Emerging Visionary award for his work.
The information in this article is solely the opinion of the author and Walk-Bike Cupertino and does not reflect the opinions of any other organization or entity. For more information, contact WBC at info@walkbikecupertino.org.