“Consumer” is often a misleading word. Its connotation of making something fade away does not correspond to the real world. We do not consume; we transform. Products are a linear concept with an origin and an end. Materials and waste do not disappear, and one way or another, come back to us. For example, pollution was already killing nine million people worldwide in 2019, and microplastics have recently been found in human blood.

The concept of a circular economy takes into account this reality by changing the current production system to another that makes a more efficient use of resources and reduces waste under the principle of sustainable development, which is, incidentally, linked to the human rights of the peoples living on this planet (as shown in the UN Sustainable Development Goals). In a circular economy, reparation is prioritized over substitution, since it needs a much lower amount of resources than the latter. Also, the smart and ecological design of products that ease their reparation or their reuse is promoted, going much beyond recycling. While recycling talks about trash and waste, the lifespan of products is the main focus of the circular economy, reducing the amount of waste to be recycled to the minimum.

By way of example, most of us are aware that buying a new smartphone is sometimes cheaper than repairing the components of a used one, and that certain companies program their phones, from the factory or through operative system updates, to become obsolete after some time. Those practices are not only an abuse of customer rights but examples of the unsustainable linear economy. However, there are some companies, such as Fairphone, that have developed sustainable models.

Indeed, a circular economy would radically change the way we produce things. Cooperation between companies and government authorities will be essential. The former may come up with innovative solutions for reducing waste, and the latter sets environmental objectives and rules of the game, while rewarding companies that care about the planet. In fact, the Ellen McArthur Foundation estimated that European companies could save up to 581.000 million euros in raw materials and be more competitive if they adapt their production to the circular economy principles.

Apart from the climate emergency situation and its horrific consequences, this seems to be one of the major incentives for the European Union to push towards a rounder economy. This is made through policies like the Circular Economy Action Plan 2020 (CEAP), which sets a variety of rules setting stricter recycling and lower ecological footprint goals and awaits to be complemented in the future by proposed regulations. Some of these include the initiative to ban greenwashing; the right of consumers to be informed about the durability and reparation of products after purchase; and initiatives that aim to restrict programmed obsolescence. At the Spanish national level we should point out the Circular Economy Spanish Strategy and the recent law on Waste and Polluted Soils (Law 7/2022), which restricts the use of non-reusable plastic products. These initiatives aim to address multiple sustainability issues in Spain. Andalusia is also in the process of enacting its own autonomous legislation on these matters.

Each industry is unique, and solutions must be adaptable to particular circumstances with the general principles of circular economy remaining. The food value chain has such an impact on the environment that a legislative framework for a sustainable food system will be adopted by the EU Commission by the end of 2023, according to the Farm to Fork Strategy.

The olive oil industry is no exception. According to a 2018 study, the process of making olive oil produces up to 80% more volume in residues, such as olive press cake and olive-mill wastewater, than the olive oil extracted. The polyphenols present in such waste are toxic for plants and soil microbes (especially those that take a part in the Nitrogen natural cycle), and are an unbearable threat to the soil. For that reason, such waste has traditionally either been stored in cement lined ponds and tanks and merely evaporated, or dried and sold as a pelletized fuel. While using the dried material as a fuel is a good alternative to fossil fuels, both of these methods allow the stored carbon to be released back into the atmosphere.

Amata Green is taking a step towards a more sustainable and circular olive oil industry by taking some of this the olive cake (known as “alpeorujo”) and giving a new use to it: to be pyrolyzed and turned into biochar. This process binds the carbon which the plant has captured and sequesters it for potentially 1000 years. Biochar also has multiple benefits for the soil such as erosion control, increased water holding capacity and increased soil microbial activity. Biochar can also be used as an additive in concrete/cement and other building materials and also in water filtration. The Amata Green model will be contributing to the circular economy and the sustainable development of the rural areas of the provinces of Jaén and Granada. To learn more about Amata Green’s biochar plans in the olive groves of Spain, you can see their pre-CORC carbon marketplace listing on PURO here.

About the Author: Mr. Jesús Parra (Amata Green Law Intern) was born and raised in Ciudad Real, Spain and recently graduated in International Public Law at Stockholm University, where he delved into the study of international norms, human rights protection, legal research, and International Economic Law. He has also focused on Contract Law and Administrative Law during his studies. Mr. Parra did an internship with the Europe Direct office of the EU in Ciudad Real, an institution whose goal is to explain current problems and initiatives in the EU to the citizens. He also volunteered with the Red Cross before moving abroad to study in Finland and Sweden. Mr. Parra is certain that legal mechanisms should be used for promoting, not hindering, the green transition and the path to sustainability, and thus has become part of the solution by joining the Amata Green team as a 2022 Legal intern. Mr. Parra can be found on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesus-parra-leon/

Circular Economy: More Than An Opportunity, A Responsibility

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