It was my first experience with e-commerce and the product did not dissapoint.

I had just received a Google Chrome notebook which costed less than you can imagine.

It could flip over and convert into a tablet and had a touch screen besides other functionalities.

I made this transaction in 2019 – if memory serves me right and I still use my Google Chrome notebook to date.

Which is a pleasant surprise given the fast evolution of tech based products today.

So what has made this product last that long (nearly six years and counting)?

UPGRADE

Many tech-based products can be upgraded.

Just think about the many times your phone company gives you a system upgrade.

System upgrades solve two problems…

First, it avails better service to us.

Secondly, it allows the use of the product over long periods of time.

And that’s what made my laptop to function continuously for six years.

Upgrades help us keep tech products away from the dumpster.

In other words, they contribute very positively to the circular economy.

Just imagine the many computers, phones and tablets that could be rendered obsolete if system upgrades weren’t there.

But what makes these system upgrades even more interesting is how they happen.

If you were talking about a system upgrade or maintenance ten years ago, you’d probably think of a technical guy showing up with all sorts of equipment.

However, system upgrades have become more customer friendly over time.

All you need to do to upgrade your phone today is a click of a button or buttons.

And with that convenience the need for repairs is reduced – at least when it comes to phones, laptops and tablets.

But repairing devices is still important in today’s world – especially if it’s customer friendly.

REPAIR

I remember watching a video of a person dismantling a product he had purchased to do simple maintenance.

Many products of the 21st century use software based upgrades or are easy to dismantle and reassemble – and have a manual to go with it.

What does this mean?

Well, simply put, it means that these manufactured products will take time to end up in the waste dump – and isn’t that what we want after all?

Picture your home, garage, office etc.

What products have broken down and you’ve stopped using?

A time will come when these relics will occupy wanted space prompting you to dispose them into the dumpster.

But what if you could repair the same products to reuse them?

Actually, ease of repair of a product makes it possible to use it over and over again – making it less likely to toss it into the dumpster.

But some products might not regain their full working potential.

So what do we do with them?

REPURPOSE

Think of a bank which desires to upgrade its computers.

The current ones are functioning but not to the level they expect thus the upgrade.

Now, they have two – or more – choices.

First, they could sell them to e-waste recyclers.

Second, they could donate them to a school to use them for computer literacy – now that they are still working.

That’s an excellent example of repurposing.

But repurposing spent products need not be complex – infact it could be one sure way of upcycling.

Think of spent tyres some of which are tossed into the dumpster.

Now, a creative artist or carpenter could pick them up and design coffee tables and sell them for a fortune.

Repurposing is about creativity…it’s about taking available waste to reuse it for another purpose altogether – while creating value in the process.

So whether you think of making portrait art from plastics…

DIY home decor from glass waste…

Flower pots from sawdust…

Or even furniture from rubber tyre waste..

Think of taking what is readily available and redirecting it towards some different use.

Some innovation might be needed but at the end, the dumpster will be emptied in a profitable way.

IN CONCLUSION

The circular economy is not just about recycling – though it’s very key.

But its also about reducing what ends up in your trash can.

If you could find a way to do that, then you’re in the game.

Congratulations.

Keep on winning as we gear towards a world with zero waste.