Can you put that junk to good use? The circular economy demands no less.

What goes around comes around  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

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Circular thinking The news • Saying no to single use. Fast-food companies are partnering with a recycling business to see if consumers will pay for reusable packaging. “We’re halfway through the trial, and we’ve had some really positive comments from customers,” noted one executive. Consumers are charged a refundable deposit for the sustainable packaging, which they get back after returning the items. [WSJ] • A circular model. It will take a major transformation of operating models, consumer behavior, and global supply chains to make the shift from a linear economy, in which items are used and discarded, to a circular one. Yet a growing number of organizations are also willing to engage with the challenges, according to the World Economic Forum. [WEF] A circular economy, in which growth is gradually decoupled from the consumption of finite resources, offers a response to the challenges and negative impacts of the current economic model. Our insights • Why it matters. As the global middle class continues its rapid expansion, our consumer-based economic system faces enormous challenges. The circular economy offers a response: it is designed to eliminate waste and pollution, reuse products and materials, and regenerate nature. In Europe, such a model could create jobs and generate environmental advantages, for a net benefit of €1.8 trillion by 2030. • The infinite loop. AI, with its ability to enhance human performance, can play an important role in enabling a shift to the circular economy. To find out how AI can add up to $127 billion a year in the food industry and up to $90 billion a year in consumer electronics, see our article. — Edited by Katy McLaughlin    Get the ball rolling Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. Or send us feedback — we’d love to hear from you. Follow our thinking This email contains information about McKinsey’s research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy. You received this email because you subscribed to the On Point newsletter. Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe Copyright © 2021 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007