Overview
While businesses are the primary driver for environmental degradation, experts agree that individuals also play a key role in environmental sustainability through their lifestyle and consumption choices.
Objective: After examining the circular economy model – an economic system that aims to eliminate waste and keep resources in use as long as possible – you will reflect on your own consumption patterns and produce a short report with recommendations on how you would integrate one principle of the Circular Economy model into your current lifestyle to enhance environmental sustainability.
This Assignment has 2 parts:
- Complete a personal consumption assessment sheet over a 3-day period (download the worksheet using the link below) and at the end of the three days, choose one consumption pattern that would make a good candidate for circularity.
BUS 200 DL Circular Economy Assignment Table_final.pdf Download BUS 200 DL Circular Economy Assignment Table_final.pdf
- Write a short report with the proposed change to your consumption behavior (see below for detailed instructions).
Instructions:
- Review the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s website on the Circular Economy: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overviewLinks to an external site.
- Do an assessment of your own regular consumption of products and services that meet your basic needs and improve your quality of life. Then choose one area in your everyday life where you think a change in your behavior can take a step toward the circular economy.
- Use the circular economy principle outlined in the Circular Economy website (i.e., eliminate waste and pollution; circulate products and materials; regenerate nature) that makes most sense for your consumption patterns and/or is easiest to implement with your current lifestyle.
- Prepare a 3-page double spaced report that includes the following components:
- Overview of the consumption pattern/individual behavior you are proposing to change based on your assessment sheet.
- Discussion of the Circular Economy principle which is most aligned to the lifestyle change you are proposing. Which principle is most related to the change you want to make and how would you adopt it?
- Reflection on how this change might disrupt your current lifestyle. What are some challenges you expect to encounter? What are some long-term benefits?
- Conclude with any insights you have gained on how your own consumption habits impact the environmental crisis.
Technical Aspects of Report:
- Each student will prepare an APA formatted report on the incorporation of one Circular Economy principle into their lifestyle.
- Reports should use appropriate section headings, paragraph structures, be free of typos, and be grammatically correct. They should start with an introduction (objective of report) and end with a conclusion (summarizing steps and challenges/opportunities)
- Length: 3 pages (double-spaced) including the assessment table and any other graphics, but excluding title page and references
- Font: Times New Roman or Arial (size = 11)